Sacramento County deputies are investigating a shooting incident that took place Saturday evening at Howe Community Park while Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were dissolving an unlawful assembly of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Background
Sacramento County law enforcement were first dispatched to the park on Howe Avenue shortly before 6:30 in the evening after learning of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Shortly after, a follow-up call was made describing an alleged brawl occurring within the park grounds.
A sheriff's airship conducted an aerial sweep but reported no active disturbance. Nevertheless, authorities discovered that a massive group had congregated at Howe Park without official sanction.
The Shooting Itself
Officers began the process of clearing the park by encircling the gathering and announcing over their public address systems directing the crowd to clear out. Approximately 15 minutes were allowed for individuals to vacate.
Just as the crowd began to move that between 20 and 25 rounds were fired. The sudden gunfire triggered a stampede. Officers at once began searching for victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
In total, four victims were found to have been shot. The shooting victims — a group of one female and three male victims all reportedly in their twenties — were taken to nearby hospitals. Hospital staff noted that two had critical injury classifications, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one person's injuries were considered minor. Thankfully, each of the four victims was stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department arrived on scene and helped triage those who had been shot at the park.
The Investigation
The main crime scene was confirmed read more to have been concentrated adjacent to the Cottage Way corridor next to the local Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Law enforcement investigators identified additional shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Projectile impacts were discovered in the iron perimeter fence bordering the Home Depot. These findings confirmed that at least one shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. That Home Depot location was secured under a brief lockdown during the incident. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives kept processing evidence through the early morning hours.
Suspect Information
Details gathered over scanner radio traffic revealed that a suspect Kia was pulled over in Solano County. Four individuals were detained. Sheriff's units were en route to collect those detained to collect the individuals for questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators revealed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.