A Sacramento jury has found D’Anthony Chaney guilty of first-degree murder in a deadly Jan. 2, 2022 shooting outside a South Land Park liquor store. Jurors also found true a special allegation that Chaney personally fired the gun that killed the victim, and they convicted him of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prosecutors say the violence followed a dispute inside Mike’s Liquor on the 5900 block of South Land Park Drive and unfolded as the victim stepped out of the store. Sentencing is set for July 31, 2026, and Chaney faces a maximum of 53 years to life in prison.
Jury convicts D'Anthony Chaney
According to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, jurors returned their verdict today after hearing days of testimony and reviewing evidence presented by prosecutors. The DA’s release states that Chaney was convicted of first-degree murder, with a finding that he personally discharged a firearm causing death, and of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The office also confirms that sentencing is scheduled for July 31 at 10:00 AM in Department 12B of Sacramento Superior Court.
What happened at the store
Officers were called shortly after 7:30 PM on Jan. 2, 2022, to the 5900 block of South Land Park Drive, where they found a man who was later pronounced dead, according to CBS Sacramento. The coroner and local outlets later identified the victim, and officials launched a homicide investigation. The Sacramento Police Department’s initial media advisory described the scene and asked anyone with information to come forward, and investigators followed up with neighborhood canvasses to gather evidence and identify witnesses.
Arrest and timeline
Local coverage at the time reported that Chaney left California the morning after the shooting and was arrested in Reno four days later. KCRA reported on Jan. 6, 2022, that Sacramento detectives, working with Nevada agencies, had located and arrested a suspect in the case. The matter later moved through the courts and proceeded to trial in Sacramento, ending with the 2026 guilty verdict announced by prosecutors.
Legal implications
"Chaney faces a maximum sentence of 53 years to life in prison," the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in its release. Prosecutors proved a firearm enhancement that, under California law, can add a 25-year-to-life term when a personal discharge of a firearm proximately causes death, as set out in Penal Code section 12022.53. That statute also generally bars probation for defendants who fall under its provisions, which helps explain why the maximum potential sentence in this case stretches into multiple decades.
