Law enforcement in Sacramento are looking into a gun violence incident that occurred Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park while law enforcement were dispersing an unsanctioned gathering of several hundred people.
Before the Gunfire
Deputies initially responded to the park on Howe Avenue shortly before 6:30 Saturday evening after learning of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Soon after, additional information came in describing a possible fight occurring inside the park.
Air support conducted an aerial sweep but reported no active disturbance. Nevertheless, authorities discovered that hundreds of people had packed into the park without authorization.
The Shooting Itself
Deputies moved to clear the area by setting up around the park's perimeter and using their vehicle PA systems telling the crowd to disperse at once. Roughly 15 minutes were spent for people to comply.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition were discharged. The sudden gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Responding personnel wasted no time in locating gunshot victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
When the dust settled, four shooting victims were discovered with shooting injuries. All four — consisting of one woman and three men each reported to be in their 20s — were airlifted or driven to hospitals more info in the Sacramento area. Medical teams confirmed that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one had moderate injuries, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. According to authorities, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento fire crews were called to the scene and helped triage those who had been shot at the scene.
The Investigation
The center of the incident appears to have occurred along the Cottage Way side of the park next to the Home Depot on the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Detectives located additional shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Projectile impacts were noted in the wrought iron fence alongside the nearby Home Depot. This ballistic evidence indicated that one of the gunmen had been sending rounds south from the Cottage Way area targeting the Home Depot building and parking lot. The store itself was temporarily locked down while the scene was active. Crime scene technicians and detectives kept processing evidence late into the evening.
Suspect Information
Details gathered through law enforcement radio communications established that a Kia connected to the shooting was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County California. Four detainees were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were heading to pick up the four detainees to bring the suspects back for processing in Sacramento County. Video evidence made clear that two shooters had been involved.