Sacramento authorities are working a gunfire incident that unfolded Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park at the moment authorities were clearing an unsanctioned gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
How It Started
Deputies were first dispatched to Howe Community Park shortly before 6:30 Saturday evening after obtaining information of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Following that, a second caller reported about a possible fight unfolding inside the park.
A law enforcement helicopter was sent to survey the area but reported no active disturbance. However, it was apparent that several hundred individuals had packed into the park without any permit or approval.
The Shooting Itself
Responding units set about removing people from the park by forming a perimeter and making announcements telling the assembled crowd to go home. Approximately 15 minutes were given for people to comply.
It was during this dispersal that 20 to 25 gunshots were discharged. The sudden gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Officers at once began locating gunshot victims.
Four People Shot
When the dust settled, four gunshot victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. Those injured — made up of one woman and three men ranging in age through their in their 20s — were brought to local Sacramento hospitals. Emergency physicians confirmed that two victims were in serious condition, one sustained moderate wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. Thankfully, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento fire crews provided support and helped triage those with Howe Park shooting Sacramento gunshot wounds at the park.
What Investigators Found
The center of the incident was determined to have happened near the Cottage Way side of the park near the Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators identified more spent casings on Cottage Way. Bullet holes were observed in the wrought iron fence alongside the Home Depot. These findings indicated that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot building and parking lot. The store itself was put under lockdown during the incident. Crime scene personnel kept processing evidence late into the evening.
Arrests Made
Intelligence received over police scanner frequencies showed that a vehicle identified as a Kia was contacted by law enforcement in an area within Solano County. Four individuals were stopped and detained. Sacramento law enforcement were traveling to Solano County to transport the detainees for questioning. Video that was reviewed made clear that there were two gunmen.