8 months after Picnic Day shooting, Davis police announce arrest of 2nd suspect
A Sacramento man was arrested Friday as the second suspect in the April 12 shooting that wounded three people at a Picnic Day event in Davis.
Davis police announced that Stephon Wayne Stroman, 19, surrendered at the Yolo County Jail after detectives obtained an arrest warrant on firearm-related charges. He was the second person arrested in connection with the Community Park shooting, which occurred 258 days earlier.
The incident unfolded when gunfire broke out around 3 p.m. during an off-campus gathering at the park. It was part of the city’s daylong celebration tied to UC Davis’ annual open house for students, families, faculty and alumni. The shooting wounded two teenagers and a 24-year-old and sent crowds fleeing across the street from youth baseball games underway at Davis Little League fields.
In May, authorities arrested Joseph Allen Davis, also 19 and from Sacramento, who pleaded guilty earlier this month in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He remains in custody and still faces state charges, including possessing an assault weapon and a large-capacity magazine. Though it’s unclear when he’ll appear as the court says the case has been “removed from court’s control.”
He remains in Sacramento County Main Jail on a federal hold.
Picnic Day has been a tradition in Davis since 1909 in what UC Davis calls the “crown jewel” event of its campus. It serves as the annual open house for the campus with some 70,000 attendees and includes a parade, battle of the bands, fashion show and student organization fair.
On the day of the shooting, a fraternity hosted a party at Community Park off campus that drew hundreds of people. Following the shooting, the Davis Police Department teamed with state and federal investigators in a search for clues as Davis leaders tried to reassure a city shaken by the shooting.
Violence has marred previous Picnic Day celebrations. In 2010, The Sacramento Bee reported that large crowds swelled, overwhelming downtown bars and eateries. Officials contemplated canceling the celebration. The next year, the Davis City Council approved an ordinance doubling fines for carrying open containers of alcohol, urinating in public and noise violations.
Still, Mayor Bapu Vaitla, himself a community development lecturer at UCD, told residents during a City Council meeting in the days after the incident that the celebration had “gotten out of hand.”
In a joint statement issued in November, UC Davis and the city said they had “increased our collaboration” on planning and enforcement. But few specific safety measures or reforms have been publicly detailed.
“Our meetings include key leadership, strategic communications, public safety, and student support and judicial affairs, among others,” the emailed statement said. “While planning is ongoing, we are focused on refining outreach, enhancing education efforts around enforcement and safety, and exploring thoughtful updates to event logistics to help ensure a safe, respectful, and enjoyable celebration for the entire community.”
The UC Davis Police Department and city of Davis have mutual aid agreements that span across the city and campus. But the university has acknowledged only Davis police officers have jurisdiction in public areas, such as Community Park.
Police had previously said that evidence pointed to multiple shooters. Stroman’s arrest comes more than eight months after the shooting, following investigation that officers described as “lengthy” and that included multiple law enforcement agencies.
“Detectives were able to work with Stroman to turn himself in,” Davis police said in a brief statement. Court records show that the warrant for his arrest was issues on Dec. 5, one day after Davis entered his plea. Stroman’s case also is labeled “removed from court’s control” and no arraignment date has been scheduled.
Davis police have not said whether more arrests were expected.
The 112th Picnic Day is scheduled to take place Saturday, April 18.
The Bee’s Rosalio Ahumada and Ishani Desai contributed to this story.
