A Sacramento County jury on Tuesday convicted Song Sushumna Landis of first-degree murder in the 2022 shooting death of 41-year-old Joseph Cano outside a Marconi Avenue liquor store in the Arden-Arcade area. Jurors also found Landis guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and concluded he personally used a gun during the killing. He remains in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail as he awaits sentencing in May.
The verdict followed testimony about a tense confrontation outside the Marconi Liquor & Food Mart. Prosecutors say Landis could face as much as 75 years to life in prison. Sentencing is set for May 8, 2026, in Department 14 of Sacramento Superior Court, according to The Sacramento Bee.
How prosecutors say the fight turned deadly
Prosecutors told jurors that on Feb. 21, 2022, a confrontation broke out when Cano grabbed a knife Landis wore on a cord around his neck and threw it into nearby bushes. As Cano turned away, Landis allegedly pulled a handgun from a bag, chambered a round, ran toward Cano and fired several shots, killing him in the parking lot. Investigators say Landis then rode off on a bicycle, ditched clothing and the gun in a dumpster, and was arrested about a week later, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.
Scene and initial response
The shooting unfolded around 9:15 a.m. in the parking lot of a small shopping center on Marconi Avenue near Wright Street. Crime-scene tape went up around the lot, evidence markers dotted the pavement, and witnesses reported hearing a heated argument before the gunfire. The strip mall sits near a Little Caesars and a liquor market, and deputies urged anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Office, according to KCRA.
Victim remembered
Cano was pronounced dead at the scene. In an online obituary, his family said he spent much of his life working as a carpenter and enjoyed hunting and fishing, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Sentencing and potential prison time
Prosecutors have alleged that Landis has a prior strike for aggravated battery with a weapon, a factor that could increase his prison exposure when he is sentenced. The District Attorney’s office lists the case number as 22FE003513 and says sentencing is scheduled for May 8 before Judge Tami Bogert. Landis faces a maximum potential sentence of 75 years to life, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.
