Officials in Sacramento County are examining a gunfire incident that erupted Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park just as authorities were breaking up an unlawful assembly of hundreds of attendees.
Prior to the Shooting
Deputies were first dispatched to the Arden-Arcade park around 6:30 Saturday evening after being notified of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Soon after, a second call came in describing a possible fight unfolding at Howe Park.
An overhead unit conducted an aerial sweep but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Even so, authorities discovered that hundreds of people had gathered without authorization in an unauthorized manner.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Responding units set about removing people from the park by setting up around the park's perimeter and issuing commands over loudspeakers instructing the crowd to clear out. Nearly 15 minutes were allotted for the crowd to leave.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition rang out. Gunfire caused mass panic. Law enforcement quickly moved to searching for victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
When the dust settled, four individuals were discovered with shooting injuries. All four — consisting of one woman and three men each apparently in their early to late twenties — were brought to Sacramento area hospitals. Emergency physicians confirmed that two victims were in serious condition, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. Thankfully, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento Metro Fire assisted at the location and aided in treating shooting victims on location.
Crime Scene Evidence
The center of the incident appears to have happened adjacent to Cottage Way adjacent to the Home Depot located at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Law enforcement investigators discovered more spent casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Ballistic damage were discovered in the wrought iron perimeter fencing near the Home Depot. These findings confirmed that a second shooter had been firing southward from Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot. The Home Cottage Way shooting Sacramento Depot was secured under a brief lockdown during the incident. Crime scene technicians and detectives continued working for hours.
Detainees in Solano County
Reports confirmed through scanner monitoring showed that a Kia vehicle was intercepted in nearby Solano County. Four detainees were taken into custody. Sacramento law enforcement were heading to pick up the four detainees to transport the detainees for questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators showed that two individuals had fired weapons.