Officials in Sacramento County are examining a gunfire incident that broke out on the evening of April 18 at Howe Park while Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were breaking up a large unsanctioned party of multiple hundreds of people.
Before the Gunfire
Sacramento County law enforcement were first called to the park shortly before 6:30 PM on April 18 after receiving reports of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Not long after, a second call came in mentioning an alleged brawl breaking out at Howe Park.
An overhead unit was sent to survey the area but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Even so, authorities discovered that hundreds of people had gathered without authorization without authorization.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Officers moved to clear the area by surrounding the park and broadcasting over loudspeakers telling the crowd to vacate the area. Roughly 15 minutes were allotted for individuals to vacate.
It was during this dispersal that an estimated 20 to 25 shots rang out. The shots sent hundreds fleeing. Officers quickly moved to finding those who had been shot.
The Shooting Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four gunshot victims were found to have been shot. All four — consisting of one woman and three men all believed to be in their early to late twenties — were taken to local Sacramento hospitals. Doctors and nurses confirmed that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. According to authorities, all four were in stable condition.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arrived on scene and aided in treating shooting victims at the scene.
Evidence at the Scene
The center of the incident seemed to have been read more concentrated along the Cottage Way corridor near the Home Depot store on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Crime scene investigators located more spent casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet damage were identified in the iron fence near the Home Depot. The physical evidence pointed to that a shooter had been sending rounds south from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot store. That Home Depot location was put under lockdown while the scene was active. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives kept processing evidence late into the evening.
Arrests Made
Information relayed via scanner audio confirmed that a Kia vehicle was intercepted in an area within Solano County. Four occupants were held for questioning. Sheriff's units were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for formal questioning. Video reviewed at the scene showed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.