Officials in Sacramento County are looking into a shooting that erupted Saturday night April 18 at the Howe Community Park area as deputies were dissolving an unauthorized event of a crowd of several hundred.
How It Started
Sacramento County law enforcement initially got calls about Howe Park around 6:30 PM after receiving reports of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Following that, a second call came in describing a potential more info altercation happening at Howe Park.
A sheriff's airship scanned the area from the air but reported no active disturbance. Nevertheless, authorities discovered that a massive group had come together at the location without official sanction.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Officers began the process of clearing the park by encircling the gathering and using their vehicle PA systems telling the crowd to disperse at once. Around 15 minutes were provided for the gathering to break up.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that an estimated 20 to 25 shots rang out. The shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies quickly moved to finding those who had been shot.
Four People Shot
Ultimately, four people were identified as having gunshot wounds. The four individuals — including a female and three males each reported to be in their twenties — were airlifted or driven to local Sacramento hospitals. Hospital staff noted that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one suffered minor injuries. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Metro Fire Sacramento arrived on scene and provided medical assistance the injured before they were taken to the hospital.
What Investigators Found
Most of the gunfire was believed to have taken place on the Cottage Way side of the park near the Home Depot store at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators located additional shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were discovered in the wrought iron fence adjacent to the nearby Home Depot. These findings suggested that at least one shooter had been aiming south from the Cottage Way area in the direction of the Home Depot building and parking lot. The store itself was placed on lockdown during the incident. Crime scene technicians and detectives remained on scene for hours.
Detainees in Solano County
Information obtained over police scanner frequencies indicated that a suspect Kia was pulled over in the Solano County area. Four individuals were detained. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators made clear that two separate shooters participated in the incident.