Sacramento County deputies are probing a shooting that erupted late Saturday at Howe Park at the moment authorities were breaking up a large unsanctioned party of hundreds of attendees.
Before the Gunfire
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were first called to Howe Community Park around 6:30 PM on April 18 after getting calls of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Soon after, additional information came in regarding a possible fight happening at Howe Park.
Air support was sent to survey the area but could not confirm any ongoing fight. However, it was evident that several hundred individuals had packed into the park without official sanction.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Officers worked to disperse the crowd by surrounding the park and making announcements telling the assembled crowd to disperse at once. Roughly 15 minutes were provided for the crowd to leave.
At the height of the dispersal effort that an estimated 20 to 25 shots were discharged. The shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Law enforcement wasted no time in looking for those injured.
Four Gunshot Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four shooting victims were discovered with shooting injuries. All four — comprising three men and one woman each reported to be in their twenties — were brought to nearby hospitals. Doctors and nurses noted that two had critical injury classifications, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. According to authorities, all four victims survived and were stable.
Metro Fire Sacramento were called to the scene and helped triage those with gunshot wounds prior to hospital transport.
Crime Scene Evidence
The Cottage Way shooting Sacramento primary shooting scene was confirmed to have taken place adjacent to the Cottage Way side of the park next to the Home Depot store located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Crime scene investigators discovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Bullet holes were identified in the wrought iron perimeter fencing adjacent to the Home Depot. These findings suggested that at least one shooter had been aiming south from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was temporarily locked down during the incident. Crime scene technicians and detectives worked tirelessly through the early morning hours.
Suspects Detained
Reports confirmed via scanner audio indicated that a suspect Kia was pulled over in nearby Solano County. Four suspects were taken into custody. Sacramento law enforcement were en route to collect those detained to transport the detainees for questioning. Surveillance footage confirmed that there were two gunmen.