Officials in Sacramento County are looking into a gun violence incident that unfolded late Saturday at Howe Community Park at the moment deputies were breaking up a large unsanctioned party of a crowd of several hundred.
How It Started
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to the park at about 6:30 PM on April 18 after receiving reports of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Soon after, a second call came in regarding a possible physical fight occurring within the park grounds.
A law enforcement helicopter was sent to survey the area but found nothing Sacramento County Sheriff shooting investigation to substantiate the fight report. Regardless, it became clear that an enormous crowd had congregated at Howe Park in an unauthorized manner.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies set about removing people from the park by encircling the gathering and making announcements telling attendees to leave immediately. Approximately 15 minutes were allowed for the crowd to leave.
As the crowd was being cleared that between 20 and 25 rounds echoed through the night. The rapid succession of shots sent the crowd running in all directions. Responding personnel quickly moved to identifying shooting victims.
Those Who Were Hit
Ultimately, four gunshot victims were found to have been shot. All four — including a female and three males each reported to be in their 20s — were transported to area medical facilities. Medical personnel reported that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. As of last report, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento Metro Fire assisted at the location and helped triage the four victims on location.
Physical Evidence
Most of the gunfire was determined to have happened on Cottage Way next to the local Home Depot situated at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Detectives identified additional spent rounds on the Cottage Way roadway. Bullet holes were noted in the metal fencing near the nearby Home Depot. This ballistic evidence indicated that a shooter had been firing southward from Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was locked down during the incident. CSI investigators and detectives stayed at the location late into the evening.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Reports confirmed via scanner audio confirmed that a Kia vehicle was intercepted in the Solano County area. Four occupants were stopped and detained. Deputies were traveling to Solano County to transport the detainees for questioning. Video that was reviewed revealed that two individuals had fired weapons.