Sacramento County deputies are examining a gunfire incident that erupted on the evening of April 18 at Howe Community Park at the moment law enforcement were dissolving a large unsanctioned party of several hundred people.
Background
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially responded to the park on Howe Avenue around 6:30 PM on April 18 after receiving reports of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Shortly after, a second call came in mentioning an alleged brawl happening at Howe Park.
Air support scanned the area from the air but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Regardless, it was apparent that hundreds of people had packed into the park without permission.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Law enforcement personnel worked to disperse the crowd by surrounding the park and broadcasting over loudspeakers instructing those gathered to leave immediately. Roughly 15 minutes were spent for people to comply.
Just as the crowd began to move that 20 to 25 gunshots cut through the air. Gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies wasted no time in finding those who had been shot.
Four Gunshot Victims
In total, four victims were located with gunshot injuries. Those injured — consisting of one woman and three men all believed to be in their twenties — were taken to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Doctors and nurses noted that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one suffered minor injuries. Thankfully, all four victims survived and were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District provided support and helped care for shooting victims before they were taken to the hospital.
What Investigators Found
Most of the gunfire was confirmed to have taken place on the Cottage Way side of the park alongside the Home Depot store located at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Investigators discovered additional spent rounds on the Cottage Way roadway. Bullet holes were also found in the wrought iron perimeter fencing adjacent to the Home Depot store. These findings pointed to that at least one shooter had been aiming south from the Cottage Way area toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. That Home Depot location was secured under a brief lockdown during the incident. CSI units alongside detectives remained on scene throughout the night.
Suspect Information
Reports confirmed over police scanner frequencies established that a Kia connected to the shooting was contacted by unauthorized gathering shooting Sacramento law enforcement in Solano County California. Four individuals were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sheriff's units were en route to collect those detained to return them to Sacramento for questioning. Video reviewed at the scene made clear that two shooters had been involved.