Sacramento County deputies are probing a shooting incident that took place Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park while Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were dissolving an unsanctioned gathering of an estimated several hundred individuals.
What Led to the Shooting
Law enforcement were first dispatched to Howe Park shortly before 6:30 PM after obtaining information of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Following that, a second caller reported concerning a potential altercation unfolding at the location.
Air support was sent to survey the area but came back with no confirmation of a fight. However, it was evident that a crowd of several hundred had congregated at Howe Park without official sanction.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Law enforcement personnel moved to clear the area by encircling Home Depot Sacramento shooting the gathering and issuing commands over loudspeakers instructing the hundreds present to leave immediately. Roughly 15 minutes were spent for individuals to vacate.
Just as the crowd began to move that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition cut through the air. The sudden gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Responding personnel swiftly started identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
In total, four people were discovered with shooting injuries. The four individuals — consisting of one woman and three men each apparently in their twenties — were airlifted or driven to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Medical personnel stated that two had critical injury classifications, one had moderate injuries, and one victim's wounds were minor. In a positive development, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire also responded and helped care for the injured on location.
Evidence at the Scene
The center of the incident was determined to have taken place along the Cottage Way side of the park near the Home Depot store at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Law enforcement investigators recovered additional shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were noted in the iron fence bordering the Home Depot. This evidence pointed to that one of the gunmen had been discharging rounds toward the south from Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot store. That Home Depot location was temporarily locked down while law enforcement worked the area. Crime scene personnel continued working late into the evening.
Arrests Made
Information relayed through scanner monitoring revealed that a Kia connected to the shooting had been stopped in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were detained. Deputies were heading to pick up the four detainees to bring the suspects back for processing in Sacramento County. Video that was reviewed revealed that two individuals had fired weapons.