![\"Murder](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/SAC_9778_KStreetShooting_HA_260421.JPG\" "\\"Murder")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Murder suspect Dandrae Martin listens to opening statements during the K Street mass shooting trial at the Tani Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento Courthouse on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
HECTOR AMEZCUA<\/p>\n
hamezcua@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
The shooters in the deadly K Street massacre<\/a> moved within the complex orbit of criminal gangs and their offshoots that make up Sacramento\u2019s underworld, an expert on the capital city\u2019s gang culture testified Monday.<\/p>\n The weeks-long murder trial of Mtula Payton and Dandrae Martin is expected to conclude this week.<\/p>\n Sacramento County prosecutors on Monday pressed their theory that Payton and Martin were involved in a shootout with rival gang members on the downtown street corner rather than defending themselves from a spontaneous volley of gunfire<\/a> as nightclubs closed April 3, 2022.<\/p>\n Prosecutors questioned former Sacramento police officer Zach Eaton, now a Lincoln police captain, who spent 16 years tracking, investigating and studying Sacramento\u2019s complex gang networks \u2014 including alliances and rivalries, offshoots and subgroups, language and symbols \u2014 as a Sacramento police detective.<\/p>\n Eaton testified that the men were involved in rival gangs \u2014 G-Mobb in south Sacramento, Garden Blocc Crips in North Sacramento and others that have battled over the decades \u2014 and crossed paths with deadly consequences at 10th and K streets.<\/p>\n Downtown blocks, including K Street, were neutral territory in Sacramento gangs\u2019 ongoing shooting war, Eaton testified. K Street, in particular, was a hotspot where rival gangs would send scouts to gather intelligence on their foes.<\/p>\n Scouts scoured the streets in the hours before the chaos erupted \u2014 what Sergio Harris\u2019 cousin, Ike Harris, called a \u201ctemperature check\u201d \u2014 Eaton said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to know how many people are with that group, what they look like,\u201d Eaton said.<\/p>\n They included the Harrises, scouting for the Martin brothers and watching for rivals before the shooting started, Eaton testified, citing the K Street security videos played for jurors throughout the trial.<\/p>\n Six people died, including three who opened fire: Sergio Harris, Joshua Hoye-Lucchessi and Davazia Turner. Three bystanders \u2014 Yamile Martinez, 21; Johntaya Alexander, 21; and Melinda Davis, 57, also were killed in the seconds after the shooting started, unable to escape the barrage.<\/p>\n Another 13 were wounded, including Payton and Martin\u2019s brother, Smiley. Smiley Martin later died at the Sacramento County Main Jail in 2024 while awaiting trial in the shootings.<\/p>\n Payton attorney Reed Kingsbury argued earlier in the trial that videos from the scene showed Payton did not kill Martinez, Alexander or Davis while he exchanged gunfire.<\/p>\n Testimony resumed Monday afternoon and was expected to continue through the week before Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Bowman.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n![\"Murder](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781574261_679_SAC_3913_KStreetShooting_HA_260421.JPG\" "\\"SAC_3913_KStreetShooting_HA_260421.JPG\\"")
Murder suspect Mtula Payton listens to opening statement during the K Street mass shooting trial at the Tani Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento Courthouse on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com <\/p>\n