The two men accused in the 2022 K Street shooting that killed six people and injured a dozen others will face a retrial after their first trial ended in a mistrial, prosecutors confirmed Friday.
The shooting, which happened in downtown Sacramento in April 2022, remains the deadliest mass shooting in the city’s history.
The case against surviving suspects Dandrae Martin and Mtula Payton will now return to court, forcing victims’ families to revisit the events and evidence surrounding the shooting.
During the first trial, prosecutors dropped first-degree murder charges after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The jury then deliberated on second-degree murder charges but still could not reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial in July.
Leia Schenk of EMPACT, who has worked with victims’ families throughout the case, said the retrial is another painful chapter for people who have already spent years reliving the shooting.
“Families are numb to the process,” Schenk said. She added, “Four years now. Going into five. This retrial will go into the fifth year of this.”
She said repeatedly returning to court can make it difficult for families to begin healing.
“The saddest part about this is that the families can’t even begin to heal every time they walk into the courtroom and rip the Band-Aid off,” she said.
Schenk said some family members have been forced to watch videos and revisit evidence showing the deaths of their loved ones.
“Seeing videos of their loved ones being murdered or dying, it’s heartbreaking,” she said. “I don’t think they should have to relive this. It’s just not fair.”
The defense is expected to ask for a change of venue at the next court hearing, scheduled for January.
It is not yet clear whether prosecutors will pursue the case differently in the retrial or what specific charges they will seek.
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