A Sacramento jury has returned guilty verdicts against Joel Zeigler for a shooting outside a Franklin Boulevard bar that left one person dead and three others wounded, closing a chapter on a brazen April 2022 incident that shattered an Easter Sunday evening.
On April 17, 2022, Zeigler opened fire at Goeman’s Bar—now Score Bar&Lounge—believing he’d spotted a man responsible for shooting his brother. In that moment of rage and mistaken confrontation, he squeezed off seven rounds. One of those shots struck 33-year-old Robert Earl Daniel in the back, killing him at the scene. Three bystanders also caught bullets, though their injuries were less severe. All four victims were shot at least once in the chaos.
The jury found Zeigler guilty of second-degree murder, attempted murder, and three counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm—charges that carry serious weight. What happens next matters just as much: he faces a maximum sentence of 123 years to life in prison when he returns to court on July 24, 2026 for sentencing. At that hearing, the court will also weigh an allegation of a prior strike conviction for robbery and carjacking, which could push the consequences even further.
For Sacramento’s Franklin Boulevard community and the families affected, this conviction represents accountability. For the courts, it’s a reminder of what happens when vigilantism replaces the justice system, and when a single moment of suspicion and gunfire can derail multiple lives forever.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
