Officials in Sacramento County are looking into a violent incident that erupted Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park in Sacramento while officers were clearing a large unauthorized gathering of a crowd of several hundred.
How It Started
Deputies first arrived at the park on Howe Avenue around 6:30 PM on April 18 after getting calls of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Shortly after, a second caller reported describing a possible fight unfolding near the park.
A law enforcement helicopter searched from above but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Even so, it was apparent that an enormous crowd had packed into the park in an unauthorized manner.
The Shooting Itself
Officers began the process of clearing the park by positioning themselves around the crowd and announcing over their public address systems telling those gathered to vacate the area. Around 15 minutes were allowed for individuals to vacate.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition were fired. The barrage of gunfire caused mass panic. Responding personnel immediately began searching for victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Ultimately, four shooting victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. The victims — made up of one woman and three men all reportedly in their mid to late twenties — were brought to local Sacramento hospitals. Hospital staff stated that two victims were in serious condition, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire arrived on scene and helped care for the injured prior to hospital transport.
Evidence at the Scene
The center of the incident was believed to have happened adjacent to the Cottage Way corridor next to the Home Depot store on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Law enforcement investigators found extra shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Projectile impacts were also found in the get more info iron perimeter fence surrounding the nearby Home Depot. This evidence pointed to that a shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area targeting the Home Depot store. The Home Depot was placed on lockdown during the incident. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives continued working late into the evening.
Arrests Made
Details gathered via scanner audio showed that a Kia connected to the shooting was pulled over in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were stopped and detained. Sheriff's units were sent to retrieve the detainees to pick up those detained for further questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators showed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.