SACRAMENTO, California — The man stabbed to death has been identified as 22-year-old Laronn Derose Wilson II. Sacramento Police Department continues to investigate the homicide.
Police said the victim knew his attacker and that both were homeless. On Wednesday night, police said they identified 23-year-old Malik Wilson, of Sacramento, as the suspected stabber. He was arrested on homicide-related charges. Police said the men are not related to one another.
The stabbing sent shockwaves through the Downtown Commons Tuesday around 5 p.m.
Samantha Earl was having dinner and drinks with friends.
“We heard all this commotion going on and it was easily 20 feet away, a man in just in boxers, covered in blood,” said Earl.
ABC10 spoke with a man who goes by King, who is also homeless and spends his time at DOCO.
“I’m never safe. To me, I feel that we are at war within our own city, and they don’t care enough to do anything about it,” said King.
Homeless advocate Bob Erlenbusch with the Regional Coalition to End Homelessness said the stabbing is tragic and happened so publicly due to a lack of follow through from the city.
“The city manager has not done what city council and the mayor have instructed him to do, to locate places for safe ground and now we’ve got the district attorney trying to shut down one of the Camp Resolutions. So we need to expand the areas where our unhoused neighbors can be,” said Erlenbusch.
DOCO was full of police Wednesday in response. Multiple Sacramento police officers were on bike patrol, and Downtown Safety Partnership security were circling the complex in golf carts.
“Police don’t care. If this had happened at a homeless encampment or somewhere else, it wouldn’t be on the news. It wouldn’t be heard of,” said King.
Some shoppers and diners are questioning their safety in the area as DOCO experiences one of its busiest times of the year welcoming Kings fans, holiday shoppers and concert goers.
Deborah Brandao was out with friends on Tuesday evening when she saw what happened.
“No one would think coming down to have dinner or drinks with a friend would end up essentially watching someone die,” said Brandao.
ABC10 reached out to the Downtown Safety Partnership to discuss additional security and what they are doing at DOCO.
They said they are still working with police and could not comment at this time.
ABC10 also reached out to the mayor’s office for their thoughts on this incident and the issues of homelessness and downtown safety, but the inquiry was not immediately returned.
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