Law enforcement in Sacramento are probing a violent incident that occurred late Saturday at Howe Park at the moment Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were dissolving an unauthorized event of hundreds of attendees.
How It Started
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to the park at approximately 6:30 PM on April 18 after obtaining information of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Not long after, a second call came in regarding a potential altercation website occurring near the park.
A sheriff's airship scanned the area from the air but reported no active disturbance. However, it was apparent that hundreds of people had come together at the location without authorization.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Law enforcement personnel worked to disperse the crowd by positioning themselves around the crowd and using their vehicle PA systems commanding the hundreds present to clear out. Roughly 15 minutes were allowed for attendees to disperse.
As the crowd was being cleared that upwards of 20 gunshots were discharged. The shots caused mass panic. Responding personnel quickly moved to locating gunshot victims.
Those Who Were Hit
When the dust settled, four victims were discovered with shooting injuries. All four — consisting of one woman and three men all reportedly in their mid to late twenties — were rushed to local Sacramento hospitals. Medical teams stated that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one sustained moderate wounds, and one person's injuries were considered minor. Thankfully, all four were expected to survive.
Sacramento fire crews were called to the scene and helped triage the four victims at the scene.
The Investigation
The center of the incident was confirmed to have happened on the Cottage Way side of the park alongside the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Crime scene investigators discovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Projectile impacts were noted in the iron fence alongside the Home Depot store. This ballistic evidence confirmed that at least one shooter had been firing southward from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot store. The Home Depot was temporarily locked down during the incident. Crime scene technicians and detectives continued working for hours.
Suspects Detained
Details gathered over scanner radio traffic showed that a Kia vehicle was intercepted in an area within Solano County. Four individuals were held for questioning. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to return them to Sacramento for further questioning. Surveillance footage revealed that there were two gunmen.