Law enforcement in Sacramento are looking into a shooting that broke out Saturday night April 18 at the Howe Community Park area as deputies were shutting down a large unauthorized gathering of a crowd of several hundred.
Before the Gunfire
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially responded to Howe Community Park just after 6:30 in the evening after getting calls of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. After that, another report was received regarding an alleged brawl unfolding at the location.
An overhead unit scanned the area from the air but reported no active disturbance. However, authorities discovered that hundreds of people had gathered without authorization without official sanction.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Officers worked to disperse the crowd by setting up around the park's perimeter and using their vehicle PA systems commanding the hundreds present to vacate the area. Nearly 15 minutes were given for people to comply.
Just as the crowd began to move that between 20 and 25 rounds were fired. The rapid succession of Howe Park shooting Sacramento shots triggered a stampede. Officers immediately began locating gunshot victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Ultimately, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. The victims — a group of one female and three male victims each reported to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were transported to area medical facilities. Medical personnel noted that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one suffered minor injuries. In a positive development, all four were expected to survive.
Sacramento Metro Fire arrived on scene and assisted with medical triage the injured prior to hospital transport.
Crime Scene Evidence
The bulk of the shooting seemed to have occurred adjacent to the Cottage Way corridor close to the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators found additional shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet damage were noted in the wrought iron perimeter fencing bordering the Home Depot store. These discoveries showed that a shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was secured under a brief lockdown while the scene was active. Crime scene personnel remained on scene throughout the night.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information relayed over police scanner frequencies established that a Kia connected to the shooting was contacted by law enforcement in the Solano County area. Four occupants were stopped and detained. Sheriff's units were dispatched to Solano County to transport the detainees for questioning. Video that was reviewed established that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.