Sacramento County deputies are probing a gunfire incident that erupted Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park as authorities were dispersing an unlawful assembly of an estimated several hundred individuals.
What Led to the Shooting
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially got calls about the park just after 6:30 Saturday evening after getting calls of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Following that, a follow-up call was made about a possible fight breaking out within the park grounds.
Air support conducted an aerial sweep but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Regardless, it was apparent that several hundred individuals had congregated at Howe Park without authorization.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Law enforcement personnel set about removing people from the here park by setting up around the park's perimeter and announcing over their public address systems commanding those gathered to vacate the area. Nearly 15 minutes were spent for the gathering to break up.
Just as the crowd began to move that an estimated 20 to 25 shots cut through the air. The shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Responding personnel immediately began locating gunshot victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
In total, four people were confirmed as gunshot victims. All four — a group of one female and three male victims all believed to be in their twenties — were transported to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Medical teams reported that two victims were in serious condition, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one person's injuries were considered minor. As of last report, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento fire crews also responded and aided in treating those who had been shot at the scene.
Evidence at the Scene
The center of the incident was believed to have taken place on the Cottage Way corridor next to the Home Depot situated at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators located extra shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Bullet holes were observed in the iron fence surrounding the nearby Home Depot. This evidence pointed to that a shooter had been aiming south from Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot store. The Home Depot was locked down for a period of time. Crime scene personnel continued working for hours.
Arrests Made
Information obtained via scanner audio confirmed that a Kia vehicle was intercepted in Solano County California. Four detainees were taken into custody. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were traveling to Solano County to return them to Sacramento for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators confirmed that two separate shooters participated in the incident.