Sacramento authorities are working a shooting that took place Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park just as law enforcement were dispersing an unlawful assembly of several hundred people.
How It Started
Deputies first arrived at the park on Howe Avenue shortly before 6:30 Saturday evening after learning of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. After that, a second caller reported concerning a potential altercation taking place at the location.
Air support searched from above but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Nevertheless, it became clear that hundreds of people had congregated at Howe Park without permission.
When the Shots Rang Out
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies moved to clear the area by encircling the gathering and announcing over their public address systems instructing the crowd to vacate the area. Roughly 15 minutes were allotted for people to comply.
It was during this dispersal that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition cut through the air. Gunfire caused mass panic. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies swiftly started identifying shooting victims.
Those Who Were Hit
In total, four individuals were discovered with shooting injuries. The shooting victims — a group of one female and three male victims each reported to be in their mid to late twenties — were taken to local Sacramento hospitals. Doctors and nurses stated that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. In a positive development, all four were expected to survive.
Sacramento fire crews arrived on scene and assisted with medical triage shooting victims at the scene.
Physical Evidence
The center of the incident was confirmed to have taken place near the Cottage Way corridor next to the Home Depot store at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Investigators located more spent casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet holes were observed in the wrought iron fence adjacent to the Home Depot. This ballistic evidence indicated that at least one shooter had been aiming south from Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot store. The store itself was put under lockdown during the incident. CSI investigators and detectives kept processing evidence through the early morning hours.
Suspect Information
Details gathered over police scanner frequencies revealed that a Kia vehicle get more info had been stopped in an area within Solano County. Four suspects were taken into custody. Law enforcement units were traveling to Solano County to pick up those detained for questioning. Video that was reviewed confirmed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.