Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are probing a gun violence incident that took place Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park while law enforcement were shutting down an unlawful assembly of multiple hundreds of people.
Prior to the Shooting
Deputies were first dispatched to Howe Park shortly before 6:30 in the evening after obtaining information of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Following that, a follow-up call was made about an alleged brawl taking place at Howe Park.
A law enforcement helicopter flew over the park but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Even so, it was evident that hundreds of people had assembled at the park without authorization.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies set about removing people from the park by positioning themselves around the crowd and making announcements directing attendees to vacate the area. Around 15 minutes were provided for the gathering to break up.
Just as the crowd began to move that 20 to 25 gunshots rang out. The sudden gunfire triggered a stampede. Deputies at once began looking for those injured.
Four Gunshot Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four shooting victims were found to have been shot. Those injured — a group of one female and three male victims all believed to be in their 20s — were taken to nearby hospitals. Doctors and nurses confirmed that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one sustained moderate wounds, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento fire crews also responded and aided in treating those who had been shot on location.
Evidence at the Scene
The bulk of the shooting appears to have happened on the Cottage Way side of the park adjacent to the local Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Law enforcement investigators recovered additional spent rounds throughout the Cottage Way area. Projectile impacts were also found in the metal fencing near the nearby Home Depot. These findings indicated that at least one of the Cottage Way shooting Sacramento shooters had been firing southward from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was locked down for a period of time. Crime scene personnel remained on scene throughout the night.
Arrests Made
Reports confirmed via scanner audio showed that a Kia was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County California. Four suspects were detained. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for investigation. Footage analyzed by investigators showed that two individuals had fired weapons.