Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are working a gun violence incident that broke out Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park in Sacramento just as deputies were dissolving a large unsanctioned party of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Background
Law enforcement were first dispatched to the park on Howe Avenue around 6:30 in the evening after receiving reports of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. After that, a second call came in mentioning a possible fight happening within the park grounds.
Air support scanned the area from the air but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Despite this, it became clear that hundreds of people had congregated at Howe Park in an unauthorized manner.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Deputies worked to disperse the crowd by forming a perimeter and get more info broadcasting over loudspeakers ordering the crowd to disperse at once. Around 15 minutes were provided for the crowd to leave.
As the crowd was being cleared that an estimated 20 to 25 shots echoed through the night. The shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies immediately began identifying shooting victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
By the time the scene was secured, four victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. All four — made up of one woman and three men each reported to be in their 20s — were transported to nearby hospitals. Hospital staff confirmed that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one had moderate injuries, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. As of last report, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Metro Fire Sacramento assisted at the location and aided in treating those with gunshot wounds at the park.
Evidence at the Scene
The center of the incident was believed to have unfolded near Cottage Way adjacent to the local Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Law enforcement investigators discovered more spent casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Ballistic damage were noted in the iron fence bordering the Home Depot. This ballistic evidence showed that at least one of the shooters had been aiming south from Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot store. The nearby Home Depot was placed on lockdown during the incident. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives kept processing evidence through the early morning hours.
Suspects Detained
Intelligence received via scanner audio revealed that a Kia vehicle was contacted by law enforcement in the Solano County area. Four detainees were stopped and detained. Sheriff's units were en route to collect those detained to transport the detainees for questioning. Video reviewed at the scene established that two shooters had been involved.