Officials in Sacramento County are looking into a shooting that unfolded Saturday evening at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area at the time deputies were breaking up an unauthorized event of several hundred people.
Background
Deputies were first called to the park around 6:30 PM on April 18 after getting calls of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Following that, a second call came in mentioning an alleged brawl unfolding inside the park.
Aerial units flew over the park but could not confirm any ongoing fight. However, it became clear that a massive group had come together at the location in an unauthorized manner.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Officers set about removing people from the park by surrounding the park and broadcasting over loudspeakers directing the crowd to disperse at once. About 15 minutes were allowed for attendees to disperse.
As the crowd was being cleared that an estimated 20 to 25 shots rang out. The shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Deputies immediately began searching for victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. All four — made up of one woman and three men ranging in age through their in their 20s at the time of the incident — were transported to local Sacramento hospitals. Emergency physicians reported that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one victim's wounds were minor. According to authorities, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento fire crews assisted at the location and helped triage those with gunshot wounds at the scene.
What Investigators Found
The bulk of the shooting was confirmed to have unfolded along Cottage Way close to the Home Depot located at the Howe Park shooting Sacramento 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators found extra shell casings along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were discovered in the iron perimeter fence near the Home Depot. These findings suggested that a second shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was secured under a brief lockdown while law enforcement worked the area. CSI investigators and detectives remained on scene throughout the night.
Suspects Detained
Details gathered through scanner monitoring showed that a Kia vehicle had been stopped in an area within Solano County. Four occupants were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to collect the individuals for further questioning. Video evidence revealed that two shooters had been involved.