Davis Picnic Day shooting suspect pleads guilty to federal gun charge
A man facing federal charges in connection with a shooting in Davis on Picnic Day pleaded guilty Thursday to being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the US Department of Justice. Joseph Allen Davis, 19, was arrested on May 23 in Sacramento County, a month after the April 12 shooting at Davis' Rainbow City Park. The Davis Police Department said an illegal assault rifle was found at his apartment during a warranted search. Four minutes before the shooting, surveillance footage shows Davis and at least three others walking to the park, according to court documents. Officials say Davis was wearing a black sweatshirt and a black beanie. Officers would later find that sweatshirt in a nearby neighborhood. It tested positive for gunshot residue.Davis later told officers that the gun seized was not the one he fired at Rainbow City Park. But because he is a convicted felon and the gun is from Kentucky, he was hit with a federal charge for illegal possession. Davis also told officers he brought the gun to the park because he "needed it for protection." He claimed he fired in self-defense saying it was "four vs. one." After the shooting, he said he threw that rifle into a river.Two teenagers and a 24-year-old were injured during the shooting that day. UC Davis Picnic Day, an annual community event that draws thousands to the area, was on the same day. While the shooting was not affiliated with the university, it was put on by a campus fraternity.The DOJ said Davis is expected to be sentenced on March 26, 2026 by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. He is facing a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but his actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court, according to the DOJ. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
