Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are working a shooting that occurred Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park at the time officers were dispersing an unlawful assembly of multiple hundreds of people.
Before the Gunfire
Sacramento County law enforcement initially responded to Howe Park at about 6:30 in the evening after being notified of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Soon after, additional information came in mentioning a possible physical fight unfolding within the park grounds.
Aerial units conducted an aerial sweep but reported no active disturbance. Regardless, deputies found that hundreds of people had come together at the location in an unauthorized manner.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Officers moved to clear the area by forming a perimeter and announcing over their public address systems directing those gathered to go home. About 15 minutes were provided for people to comply.
It was during this dispersal that upwards of 20 gunshots cut through the air. The barrage of gunfire triggered a stampede. Law enforcement immediately began searching for victims.
Those Who Were Hit
Altogether, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. All four — a group of one female and three male victims each apparently in their twenties — were taken to Sacramento area hospitals. Hospital staff noted that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one had moderate injuries, and one person's injuries were considered minor. Fortunately, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire provided support and helped triage shooting victims before they were taken to the hospital.
Crime Scene Evidence
Most of the gunfire was determined to have taken place on the Cottage Way side of the park close to the Home Depot located at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators located more spent casings on Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were identified in the iron fence alongside the Home Depot store. This ballistic evidence confirmed that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from the Cottage Way area aimed at the Home Depot building and parking lot. The Home Depot was locked down while the scene was active. Crime scene personnel remained on scene late into the evening.
Suspects Detained
Reports confirmed over scanner radio traffic established that a Kia vehicle had been stopped in nearby Solano County. Four suspects were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. website Law enforcement units were dispatched to Solano County to bring the suspects back for processing in Sacramento County. Video evidence made clear that two separate shooters participated in the incident.