Law enforcement in Sacramento are examining a shooting incident that occurred Saturday night April 18 at the Howe Community Park area as website law enforcement were breaking up an unlawful assembly of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Before the Gunfire
Law enforcement were first called to Howe Community Park just after 6:30 Saturday evening after being notified of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Not long after, a second call came in mentioning a reported physical confrontation occurring at Howe Park.
An overhead unit conducted an aerial sweep but was unable to locate the reported altercation. However, authorities discovered that several hundred individuals had assembled at the park without official sanction.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Officers set about removing people from the park by forming a perimeter and broadcasting over loudspeakers commanding the assembled crowd to vacate the area. Approximately 15 minutes were allowed for people to comply.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that 20 to 25 gunshots were discharged. Gunfire caused mass panic. Deputies swiftly started searching for victims.
The Shooting Victims
Ultimately, four people were confirmed as gunshot victims. Those injured — comprising three men and one woman each reported to be in their 20s — were brought to Sacramento area hospitals. Medical personnel confirmed that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. In a positive development, all four were in stable condition.
Metro Fire Sacramento assisted at the location and provided medical assistance shooting victims at the scene.
Physical Evidence
The center of the incident was determined to have unfolded along Cottage Way adjacent to the local Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Law enforcement investigators recovered more spent casings scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet damage were noted in the metal fencing bordering the Home Depot. This evidence indicated that a second shooter had been aiming south from along Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot building and parking lot. The Home Depot was placed on lockdown for a period of time. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives kept processing evidence well into the night.
Arrests Made
Information obtained via scanner audio revealed that a Kia vehicle had been stopped in nearby Solano County. Four individuals were taken into custody. Sheriff's units were en route to collect those detained to transport the detainees for processing in Sacramento County. Video reviewed at the scene confirmed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.