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Friday's Internet Edition, November 21, 2008.
Local man slain at party on Saturday
Suspect under arrest in shooting death of Galt father of two
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Galt resident Steven “Stroker” Strother was the victim of a homicide on Saturday.
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By Rachael Ackerman
Herald Editor
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One man died and another was injured in Herald over the weekend, as a party on Alabama Road turned violent on Saturday when one partygoer pulled out a gun and shot a 25-year-old father of two to death.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of a shooting on the 12800 block of Alabama Road at around 10:43 p.m. on Saturday. When deputies arrived, they discovered Steven Strother with a gunshot wound to his upper body. When paramedics arrived on the scene a short time later, Strother was pronounced dead.
Witnesses at the scene told deputies that a second man had also been shot and was being transported to the hospital by friends. Witnesses also told deputies that partygoers had taken the handgun used in the shootings from the suspect prior to his fleeing the scene.
According to Strother’s wife Kim Mittelstadt, a 23-year-old male Galt resident was also shot in the altercation, but is expected to recover from gunshot wounds he suffered to the upper body.
Detectives confirmed there was a second male shooting victim who is receiving treatment at a Lodi hospital.
Detectives identified the suspect in the shootings as 21-year-old John Dillon of Clayton, Calif.
Working with detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crime Bureau, Dillon, who has a past criminal record, was tracked to a home in Concord where he was taken into custody the following day, on April 13, without incident.
Investigators believe that Storother was shot dead after coming to the defense of his friend, the first victim who was in a physical altercation with Dillon, which resulted in the first victim being shot. Detectives said they did not know what caused the original altercation.
Upon his return to Sacramento, detectives report taking Dillon to a local hospital where he received treatment for injuries he sustained while scuffling with partygoers as they attempted to take the handgun from him after the two men had been shot.
According to Mittelstadt, her husband was hit by a bullet in the chest and died almost instantly.
Mittelstadt said her husband of several years was known for his ability and desire to stop conflict when it rose near him.
“He wanted to be a police officer,” said Mittelstadt, who described her husband as always being the center of attention, with a knack for making everyone have a good time. “He had been a cadet in high school and had always been the one to try and solve problems with people.”
It was that drive to resolve issues that led to his death say Mittelstadt and Strother’s best friend, Johnny Goerzen, but it is also that spirit of their lost loved one that will see them through a very difficult time.
“He was my best friend for 12 years,” said Goerzen. “And, as much as I want to go and take care of this myself, I can’t. Stroker wouldn’t want it that way. He would remind me of my family and children and tell me to handle things the right way.”
According to Mittelstadt, her husband was just being himself when he went with his friend to handle an unknown issue with Dillon.
“He had his friend’s back,” said Mittelstadt. “He was just trying to stop things from escalating when Dillon pulled out the gun and shot them both, basically in cold blood.”
Unaware that her husband had been shot, at first, Mittelstadt said she was in her running vehicle waiting to take the first victim to the hospital when she was called back to the scene and told her husband was also wounded.
“I left the car running and went to my husband,” said Mittelstadt. “That’s when Dillon jumped in my running vehicle and tried to take off.”
According to Mittelstadt, a group of partygoers chased the vehicle down, dragged Dillon from the driver’s seat and proceeded to fight with him while trying to remove the gun and keep him from fleeing the scene.
“We really want to talk to anybody who tried to help us on Saturday night, from trying to resuscitate my husband, to trying to stop the man who killed him from getting away,” said Mittelstadt. “We just want to say thank you to them all for trying to help.”
On her own with a two- and a five-year-old now, Mittelstadt said the family is just trying to absorb what has happened to them.
“This man, he just took all of our family life away from us,” said Mittelstadt, who has been with Strother since 2001. “He took everything away from us. What do we do now?”
Mittelstadt is asking anyone who was at the party and saw anything to be sure to call the sheriff’s detectives and give a statement.
“If anybody knows anything about why this happened, get a hold of the sheriff. Make that call,” said Mittelstadt. “Everybody says they will, but we really need them to now. Make the phone call if you can help.”
Dillon has been booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on charges of murder and attempted murder.
The case is still under investigation, and anyone with information on these shootings is urged to call Sheriff’s homicide detectives at (916) 874-5115.
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