A report of a gunshot at a Rancho Cordova motel on Friday ended with one person in the Sacramento County Main Jail after officers followed a bullet hole in the floor to what police say was an "accidental" discharge inside a guest room.
According to the Rancho Cordova Police Department, patrol units were called after someone reported hearing a gunshot from a room at a local motel. Officers contacted two people inside and detained both of them while they tried to figure out what happened. One person later told investigators the other had "accidentally discharged the gun while showing it off." Crime Scene Investigators found an expended round lodged in the room's flooring, and detectives ultimately obtained a search warrant for the motel room and an associated vehicle. A handgun was found in the vehicle's glove compartment, and police say the weapon and the spent round were booked as evidence.
What officers say they found
In its recap of the incident, the Rancho Cordova Police Department wrote that officers "removed a gun and an offender from the streets." The person suspected of firing the weapon was transported to the Sacramento County Main Jail for booking while detectives continue to sort out the circumstances surrounding the gunshot. The department did not identify the motel by name and did not indicate that anyone was injured.
Possible charges and penalties
The arrested person was booked on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm, an offense defined in California Penal Code section 246.3. The law prohibits willfully firing a gun in a grossly negligent way that could result in someone being hurt. It is a so-called wobbler offense that can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. Prosecutors generally must show that the firearm was intentionally fired and that the manner of firing was grossly negligent. According to Justia, penalties can include up to one year in county jail if charged as a misdemeanor, with potentially longer terms if filed as a felony, and related jury instructions are detailed in Justia under CALCRIM No. 970.
What happens next
From here, the arrested person will be processed and booked at the county facility before the case is forwarded to the Sacramento County District Attorney's office for review and any formal charging decisions. The county's Main Jail is located at 651 I Street in downtown Sacramento, according to the City of Sacramento. Once charges are filed, bookings and case information move through the Sheriff's Office and the court system, including the Sacramento Superior Court. Rancho Cordova police asked anyone with tips or additional information about the motel incident to contact the department through its usual public channels.
