RANCHO CORDOVA: Sacramento County Coroner’s Office has identified a man who was killed by gunfire on Friday morning, April 3, as Michael Elder, 49.
The Sacramento Sheriff’s office reported that a dog walker discovered Elder lying lifeless on the sidewalk at around 7:15 in the morning near the corner of Egmont Way and Viking Road, in a residential neighborhood south of Highway 50 near Bradshaw Road. Police declared dead Elder dead at the scene.
Detectives are investigating Elder’s death as a homicide. There are no witnesses at this point and no motive has been identified. Some residents of the Rancho Cordova neighborhood said they woke up after hearing gunshots.
“It was around two in the morning. My husband and I heard ‘pow pow pow’,” said a man who lives in the neighborhood. “It was like six shots. Then you hear screeching, like people doing donuts on the streets. I didn’t hear anything else afterwards.”
“We did see a great deal of blood around the body,” said Sgt. Lisa Bowman of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. “We contacted the fire department, who came out to check on the subject.”
Family says Elder, who suffers from a mild physical and mental disability, was visiting a friend. They have no idea why he would be the target of a homicide.
“He bothered nobody,” family friend James Nelson said. ”I don’t know what happened last night. But he was a good friend and I talked about the Lord with him. All we have to do is pray for him.”
Elder is survived by his two sisters, Joanne Young and Diane Smith.
The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department encourages anyone with information to call their office. Tip information can also be anonymously at www.sacsheriff.com by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering the keyword “SSD” or calling (916) 874-8477.
