Sacramento authorities are working a shooting that broke out on the evening of April 18 at the Howe Community Park area just as authorities were dissolving a large unauthorized gathering of several hundred people.
What Led to the Shooting
Law enforcement initially got calls about Howe Community Park around 6:30 Saturday evening after learning of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Not long after, additional information came in describing a click here possible fight happening within the park grounds.
A sheriff's airship scanned the area from the air but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Despite this, it was evident that hundreds of people had come together at the location in an unauthorized manner.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Deputies started clearing the unauthorized gathering by positioning themselves around the crowd and issuing commands over loudspeakers instructing attendees to clear out. About 15 minutes were allowed for the crowd to leave.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition rang out. The rapid succession of shots caused mass panic. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies at once began looking for those injured.
Four Gunshot Victims
When the dust settled, four victims were discovered with shooting injuries. The shooting victims — consisting of one woman and three men all believed to be in their 20s — were taken to nearby hospitals. Hospital staff noted that two had critical injury classifications, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. Fortunately, all four were expected to survive.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department were called to the scene and aided in treating those who had been shot before they were taken to the hospital.
Crime Scene Evidence
The bulk of the shooting was confirmed to have been concentrated near the Cottage Way side of the park close to the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Law enforcement investigators found more spent casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Ballistic damage were observed in the metal fencing alongside the Home Depot. This ballistic evidence confirmed that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from the Cottage Way area targeting the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was temporarily locked down while the scene was active. Crime scene personnel continued working for hours.
Suspect Information
Details gathered over police scanner frequencies established that a Kia connected to the shooting had been detained in the Solano County area. Four detainees were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Law enforcement units were sent to retrieve the detainees to transport the detainees for processing in Sacramento County. Surveillance footage confirmed that two separate shooters participated in the incident.