Sacramento authorities are looking into a violent incident that erupted Saturday evening at the Howe Community Park area just as officers were shutting down an unlawful assembly of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Before the Gunfire
Sacramento County law enforcement were first dispatched to the park around 6:30 PM on April 18 after getting calls of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. After that, a second caller reported about an alleged brawl unfolding at Howe Park.
Air support searched from above but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Regardless, deputies found that several hundred individuals had packed into the park without permission.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies moved check here to clear the area by encircling the gathering and making announcements commanding the crowd to vacate the area. Approximately 15 minutes were given for the crowd to leave.
As the crowd was being cleared that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition were fired. Gunfire triggered a stampede. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies quickly moved to locating gunshot victims.
Those Who Were Hit
Ultimately, four individuals were confirmed as gunshot victims. The shooting victims — comprising three men and one woman each apparently in their 20s — were airlifted or driven to Sacramento area hospitals. Medical teams noted that two victims were in serious condition, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one had injuries classified as minor. In a positive development, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire provided support and helped triage the injured prior to hospital transport.
Evidence at the Scene
The center of the incident was confirmed to have occurred along Cottage Way next to the Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Detectives discovered extra shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were noted in the iron perimeter fence adjacent to the nearby Home Depot. This ballistic evidence confirmed that at least one shooter had been sending rounds south from Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot building and parking lot. The Home Depot was temporarily locked down while law enforcement worked the area. CSI units alongside detectives remained on scene late into the evening.
Detainees in Solano County
Reports confirmed through scanner monitoring showed that a Kia vehicle was contacted by law enforcement in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were detained. Law enforcement units were en route to collect those detained to collect the individuals for investigation. Video evidence showed that two shooters had been involved.