Law enforcement in Sacramento are working a violent incident that erupted Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park at the time officers were dissolving an unauthorized event of hundreds of attendees.
How It Started
Deputies initially got calls about Howe Community Park just after half past six in the evening after getting calls of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Not long after, another report was received regarding a possible physical fight breaking out at the location.
An overhead unit flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. Nevertheless, it became clear that a crowd of several hundred had congregated at Howe Park without official sanction.
When the Shots Rang Out
Officers began the process of clearing the park by positioning themselves around the crowd and broadcasting over loudspeakers instructing attendees to leave immediately. Approximately 15 minutes were allotted for people to comply.
It was during this dispersal that between 20 and 25 rounds cut through the air. The barrage of gunfire triggered a stampede. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies wasted no time in identifying shooting victims.
The Shooting Victims
When the dust settled, four shooting victims were located with gunshot injuries. All four — made up of one woman and three men ranging in age through their in their early to late twenties — were airlifted or driven to Sacramento area hospitals. Hospital staff noted that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one suffered minor injuries. Fortunately, all four were in stable condition.
Metro Fire Sacramento provided support and assisted with medical triage the injured at the park.
Physical Evidence
The bulk of the shooting was believed to have unfolded near Cottage Way alongside the Home Depot located at the 2200 Howe Avenue Cottage Way shooting Sacramento block. Investigators located extra shell casings along Cottage Way. Round impacts were noted in the wrought iron fence bordering the Home Depot store. This evidence suggested that a shooter had been sending rounds south from the Cottage Way area in the direction of the Home Depot. The Home Depot was put under lockdown for a period of time. CSI units alongside detectives kept processing evidence for hours.
Suspects Detained
Information obtained over police scanner frequencies confirmed that a Kia connected to the shooting had been stopped in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were stopped and detained. Deputies were heading to pick up the four detainees to collect the individuals for further questioning. Video reviewed at the scene confirmed that two individuals had fired weapons.