Detectives arrest suspect in Sacramento nightclub shooting that killed two men
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Detectives arrested Kevin Thao for a 2023 nightclub shooting that killed two men.
- Thao allegedly fired into a crowd after a fight, striking two bystanders fatally.
- Officials linked Thao to the shooting after an 18-month homicide investigation.
Homicide detectives arrested a man accused of murder in a 2023 shooting at a south Sacramento nightclub where a fight between two groups of people led to two men being killed by stray gunfire.
Kevin Thao, 20, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the shooting deaths of Binh Quoc Do, 51, and Ryu Kai Her, 23, who were innocent bystanders when gunshots were fired into a large crowd at Sacto By Night at 7121 Governors Circle, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday afternoon in a news release.
Thao was booked on the murder charge Wednesday morning at the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he remained in custody ineligible for bail.
Sacramento Superior Court records show Thao was arraigned Friday afternoon. Jail records show Thao is scheduled to return to court June 9.
Jerome Nansel, an owner at Sacto By Night, said Do was his friend and business partner who was motivated to help establish the nightclub by spending over a year remodeling the place. Nansel in an interview with The Sacramento Bee said that Do wanted to give his wife, an excellent vocalist, a venue where she could sing.
Mee Yang, Her’s mother, has told The Bee she and her son both worked at Stockton Unified School District. She said her son had only gone to Sacto By Night to pick up his cousin who needed a sober ride home.
On Friday, sheriff’s officials said a group of four men including Thao, who was 18 at the time, were in a fight with several women at the nightclub, where the women “appeared to gain the upper hand.”
The sheriff’s detectives have since determined after the fight ended, Thao grabbed a gun from a nearby vehicle and fired the weapon into the large crowd, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s officials said Do and Her, two innocent bystanders with no involvement in the fight in the nightclub, were fatally stuck by gunfire. Deputies responded to the reported shooting and found the two wounded men. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
A California Highway Patrol officer pulled over a vehicle with four men inside that reportedly fled from the shooting scene. Sheriff’s officials said Thao was found in the vehicle with the three other men along with several guns.
Thao and the three other men were arrested that night on firearms-related charges, but sheriff’s officials said detectives could not conclusively link the men to the nightclub shooting. In April 2024, Thao and one of the other men pleaded no contest in court and were convicted of the firearm charges.
Sheriff’s officials said the homicide detectives continued to investigate the deadly shooting over the next 18 months and determined the group in the vehicle stopped by the CHP officer that night were involved in the fight at Sacto By Night. The detectives also identified Thao as the shooting suspect.
