Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are working a gun violence incident that took place Saturday evening at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area just as deputies were breaking up an unauthorized event of several hundred people.
Prior to the Shooting
Law enforcement initially got calls about the park on Howe Avenue just after 6:30 PM on April 18 after obtaining information of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Following that, a follow-up call was made regarding a possible fight occurring at the location.
An overhead unit flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. Despite this, authorities discovered that an enormous crowd had packed into the park without official sanction.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Officers set about removing people from the park by encircling the gathering and announcing over their public address systems commanding those gathered to vacate the area. About 15 minutes were provided for attendees to disperse.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that between 20 and 25 rounds rang out. The sudden gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Responding personnel at once began identifying shooting victims.
The Shooting Victims
In total, four individuals were identified as having gunshot wounds. The victims — a group of one female and three male victims all reportedly read more in their 20s at the time of the incident — were taken to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Doctors and nurses confirmed that two victims were in serious condition, one had moderate injuries, and one victim's wounds were minor. According to authorities, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento Metro Fire provided support and provided medical assistance the four victims at the park.
What Investigators Found
The center of the incident was believed to have unfolded adjacent to the Cottage Way corridor alongside the Home Depot located at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Detectives found extra shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Ballistic damage were discovered in the wrought iron perimeter fencing surrounding the Home Depot store. These findings confirmed that one of the gunmen had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area in the direction of the Home Depot store. That Home Depot location was put under lockdown while law enforcement worked the area. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives remained on scene late into the evening.
Suspects Detained
Information relayed through scanner monitoring showed that a vehicle identified as a Kia was intercepted in nearby Solano County. Four people were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were heading to pick up the four detainees to return them to Sacramento for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators showed that two shooters had been involved.