Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Bowman declared a mistrial in the murder trial of Dandrae Martin and Mtula Payton.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Bowman declared a mistrial Tuesday in the murder trial of Dandrae Martin and Mtula Payton, the surviving suspects of the 2022 K Street mass shooting. After a two-month trial, the 12-member jury remained deadlocked on second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter charges. While the pair were not convicted of murder, they were found guilty of firearm possession. The shooting, which occurred in April 2022, killed six people and injured at least a dozen. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office will decide in the near future whether to retry the case. Families of the victims expressed disappointment over the lack of a verdict, with some describing the outcome as a failure of the justice system. Community activists noted that the mistrial leaves the city with a sense of unfinished business regarding the carnage. The prosecution argued the suspects planned to kill rivals, while the defense maintained the pair fired in self-defense during the chaotic gun battle.