Edward Tucker remains jailed without bail after Samantha Cromwell was killed and another woman was critically wounded outside Urban Air Adventure Park.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Fresno man accused of killing a mother and critically wounding another woman outside a Sacramento trampoline park has made his first court appearance as prosecutors move forward with felony murder and attempted murder charges.
Edward Tucker, 36, appeared before a judge Tuesday in a hearing that lasted less than three minutes. Prosecutors have filed four felony counts against him, including murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. Tucker remains in custody without bail, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 13. The charges are allegations, and the criminal case remains pending.
The charges stem from a Sept. 26 shooting outside Urban Air Adventure Park in the 1700 block of Arden Way. Sacramento police said officers were dispatched shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found two adult women who had been shot. One was pronounced dead at the scene after officers and emergency personnel attempted to help her. The other was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office identified the woman who died as 29-year-old Samantha Sue Cromwell. Her family said she had been at the trampoline park to celebrate her son’s eighth birthday. Relatives identified the second victim by her first name, Faith, and said she was Cromwell’s friend.
Families were gathered inside the recreation business when the shooting occurred outside. Witnesses told local news outlets they heard multiple shots and took cover. Police have not publicly released a detailed account of the moments leading to the shooting, and the department has said investigators are still working to determine the circumstances.
Investigators followed leads after the shooting and located Tucker, police said. He was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail the following day on homicide-related allegations. Homicide detectives and crime scene investigators collected evidence and interviewed witnesses as part of the continuing investigation.
Cromwell’s family has described Tucker as her husband or former husband and has said the shooting followed an abusive relationship. Her stepfather, Cedric Ward, said Cromwell had been trying to leave the relationship and had taken steps to prevent Tucker from knowing where she worked. Police have not announced a motive, and the family’s description of the relationship remains separate from the allegations prosecutors must prove in court.
Tucker’s current prosecution follows an earlier felony case in Fresno County. In May 2024, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office announced charges accusing Tucker of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The district attorney later said Tucker pleaded guilty to firing a gun into an occupied home and was sentenced to three years in state prison.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has said Tucker did not serve the entire three-year sentence, citing California’s custody-credit system and possible credits earned through behavior and work assignments. That earlier conviction provides context for the firearm-related allegation now filed in Sacramento but is a separate case and does not determine the outcome of the current prosecution.
Relatives of both women attended Tucker’s Tuesday court appearance. Faith’s mother, Tamica Atterberry, said her family intended to attend future hearings. Cromwell’s grandmother, Pamela Ward, said the family wanted justice and thanked prosecutors, victim advocates and others who had supported them following the shooting.
Sacramento police continue to investigate the shooting, including what happened before the gunfire and the circumstances surrounding the confrontation. Tucker remains jailed without bail as the case proceeds, with his next court hearing set for Oct. 13.
Author note: Last updated September 30, 2026.