Sacramento police make 1st arrest after 5 killed in separate shootings across 26 hours

Jimmy Tevis broke down in tears and barely uttered a word when a Sacramento police detective called him Wednesday night.

Tevis’ daughter began screaming, and so did Tevis’ sister when she heard the news. A man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of gunning down Tevis’ son, Colby Tevis, Sacramento police announced Thursday. The 22-year-old was shot Sept. 21 celebrating his sister’s birthday in midtown and was the first victim killed amid a weekend of violence in which five people died and three suffered wounds across five shootings.

“It was a sense of relief.” said Jaime Tevis-Littlejohn, Colby Tevis’ aunt in a phone interview. “Of course, it doesn’t heal what the family is going through.”

Alex Brown III, 29, was arrested on suspicion of murder, assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to jail records.

Brown is being held without bail. His first arraignment is scheduled for Friday, according to court records.

“We want him to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Tevis-Littlejohn said, noting her family will be at the arraignment.

Officers were called just before 1 a.m. Sept. 21 to the 2300 block of J Street after two men were shot. Colby Tevis died, his sister and friend clutching his face as he inhaled his last breath, his family said during a vigil.

The second man survived his injuries.

Tevis-Littlejohn said the family does not know Brown. Police have not announced a motive into the shooting.

Colby Tevis set an example for those around him while attending Inderkum High School, family and friends remembered. He was entering his last year at San Jose State University.

About 600 people arrived at Tevis’ funeral to pay their respects, Tevis-Littlejohn said. It made her proud to hear numerous people list all the ways Tevis impacted those around him.

SJSU awarded the 22-year-old a certificate of completion, and Inderkum High School began a scholarship in Tevis’ name, Tevis-Littlejohn said.

But the family is still grappling with grief and anger — sleep eludes them. Any slumber they manage to find include dreams of Colby Tevis’, Tevis-Littlejohn said. The 22-year-old left behind a grieving mother, father, older sister, twin sister and a large number of family and friends.

There’s still questions left after the shooting as they attempt to wrap their heads around why someone would gun down Tevis.

“The outcome is still the same” despite the arrest, Tevis-Littlejohn said. “Colby is gone.”

Colby Tevis’ death was one of five shooting deaths that took place last month in Sacramento within a 26-hour period. Police have yet to announce arrests in the other four shootings.