A Sacramento teenager already facing local charges for a shooting that sent Picnic Day revelers scrambling for cover at a Davis park now confronts additional federal weapons charges that could significantly increase his prison time. Joseph Allen Davis, 19, was charged in an unsealed criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to federal prosecutors, adding another layer of legal jeopardy to a case that has shaken the college town.
The April Incident That Changed Picnic Day
The charges stem from the April 12, 2025, shooting at Rainbow City Park in Davis, where three people were injured by gunfire during what should have been a celebratory day. Davis is accused of opening fire and injuring two teenagers and a 24-year-old man during the city’s annual Picnic Day celebration, which draws thousands of people to the college town, as reported by ABC10.
The shooting happened while a fraternity was hosting an event, but organizers didn’t have the required permits for an event of its size in the park space, according to city officials. The gunfire caused panic at the park, where Little League games were taking place nearby, with witnesses saying players and families dropped to the ground and fled as shots rang out before the games were quickly canceled and police cleared the area, ABC10 noted.
A Pattern of Gun Crimes
What makes this case particularly concerning is Davis’s criminal history with firearms despite his young age. Davis is prohibited from possessing any firearms and ammunition because he has previously been convicted of a felon gun possession offense, according to the Department of Justice. Gun convictions in Sacramento’s juvenile courts means Davis cannot possess firearms until he turns 30.
Yolo County prosecutors have labeled Joseph Allen Davis a danger to the community—at 19, a member of the Oak Park Bloods street gang with a history of gun crimes who walked with a loaded weapon onto a crowded Davis park before the shootout that sent revelers scrambling from the gunfire.
Federal Investigation Uncovers Evidence
The federal case gained momentum after investigators searched Davis’s Sacramento apartment. Law enforcement officers conducted a search and seized a short-barrel AR-15-style pistol, as detailed by federal prosecutors. Two hours before the shooting, investigators say a photo was taken on Davis’s phone showing a gun in the backseat of a car, and four minutes before the shooting, surveillance footage shows Davis and at least three others walking to Rainbow City Park…