Shortly after a mass shooting occurred in Sacramento, California early Sunday, Joe Biden was busy using the tragedy to beat the drum for more gun control across the country – despite the fact that California arguably has what are the nation’s strictest gun control laws, and despite not having any facts about the shooting or the shooters. The train was quickly taken by other gun control activists.
Another Sunday of mass shootings. While most Americans may look away, don’t. It could very well be YOU. It is something I support. @POTUSHowever, now is the right time to open a dedicated office here @WhiteHouse only working on gun violence.https://t.co/NWGXkYdWqq
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) April 3, 2022
The President is right — we must take federal action to end these senseless tragedies.https://t.co/PzGg32Joeg
— Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) April 5, 2022
The actual story, which most of the mainstream media will likely attempt to erase, has nothing to do with lax gun control laws and everything to do with the “reimagining” of the justice system being perpetrated by people like George Gascon and Gavin Newsom, and enabled by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Board of Parole Hearings.
The fact that the man arrested for the shooting was not only a criminal, but also a long-serving sentencer, meant that he was paroled on April 20, 2021. This came just three years after he had been serving a 10-year term for domestic violence, assault with serious bodily injury, and a 10-year sentence. An exclusive report from the Sacramento Bee, we learn that Smiley Allen Martin’s early release was vigorously opposed by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office. Danielle Abildgaard, Deputy District Attorney, wrote two pages to the Board of Parole Hearings.
“As shown by Inmate Martin’s pattern of conduct, he is an assaultive and non-compliant individual and has absolutely no regard for his victims who are left in the wake of numerous serious offenses. Martin has zero respect for other law enforcers or the law. “If he is released early, he will continue to break the law.”
We now know that Abildgaard, and Anne Marie Schubert, the Sacramento District Attorney, were right to be concerned.
Posted by him at FB on the night of. These are the consequences when you make fun of them. pic.twitter.com/SXvJf0u9WA
— Maria Mercedes (@iffylalala) April 5, 2022
Smiley and his brother Dandrae both have criminal records, and both seem to have an affinity for physically assaulting other people — especially women.
Smiley’s adult criminal history begins just a six months after he turned 18. In January 2013 he was in possession of an assault rifle and two loaded 25-round magazines and admitted to “transporting the assault weapon and large capacity magazines to potential buyers” and was sentenced to probation and county jail. (Who knows if there’s a juvenile history here too, which wouldn’t be surprising given the charges he caught shortly after becoming an “adult.”)
After a series of robberies that took place at Wal-Mart and Target stores, he was taken into custody and sentenced for two years. He was released and was on parole when he stopped a car that was his. Officers told him to give a fake name so he fled the scene on foot. After he had been Tased officers discovered that he was still a parolee.
In spring 2017, the crime which led to the 10 year sentence was committed. Details about that crime, in which he forced his way into his girlfriend’s home before brutally assaulting her, were provided to the Parole Board by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office in the April 2021 letter:
“He located her hiding in her bedroom closet and hit her repeatedly with a closed fist on the face, head, and body, causing visible injuries,” the letter says. “He then dragged her out of the home by her hair to an awaiting car. He then assaulted her with his belt after he had her put in the car.
Information was discovered that the victim worked as a prostitute. Inmate Martin encouraged and assisted her in this profession. Text messages and social media conversations revealed that he would tell her what kind of sex buyer she should date, how much money to charge, how to accept payment, and what forms of payment she should accept.”
One firearm that was used for the shooting was at least stolen, and it was converted into a fully-automatic weapon.
We know what’s causing the unprecedented wave of violence in California, and it’s not lax gun laws.