Sacramento authorities are working a violent incident that unfolded Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park while law enforcement were breaking up an unsanctioned gathering of a crowd of several hundred.
How It Started
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to the park on Howe Avenue at about 6:30 Saturday evening after getting calls of subjects reportedly carrying website hidden weapons. Following that, additional information came in describing a potential altercation unfolding within the park grounds.
A law enforcement helicopter searched from above but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Nevertheless, it was evident that a crowd of several hundred had packed into the park without authorization.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies worked to disperse the crowd by positioning themselves around the crowd and announcing over their public address systems ordering those gathered to go home. Nearly 15 minutes were allotted for individuals to vacate.
As the crowd was being cleared that an estimated 20 to 25 shots echoed through the night. The sudden gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies quickly moved to looking for those injured.
Four People Shot
In total, four gunshot victims were found to have been shot. The victims — a group of one female and three male victims each reported to be in their early to late twenties — were airlifted or driven to local Sacramento hospitals. Medical personnel reported that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, 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 were called to the scene and aided in treating the injured prior to hospital transport.
Physical Evidence
The bulk of the shooting was believed to have unfolded near the Cottage Way corridor close to the local Home Depot located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. CSI personnel found extra shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Projectile impacts were identified in the metal fencing surrounding the Home Depot store. This evidence pointed to that a second shooter had been aiming south from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. That Home Depot location was secured under a brief lockdown while the scene was active. CSI units alongside detectives remained on scene through the early morning hours.
Arrests Made
Information obtained via scanner audio indicated that a Kia vehicle had been stopped in Solano County. Four suspects were stopped and detained. Deputies were heading to pick up the four detainees to bring the suspects back for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators showed that two individuals had fired weapons.