Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a gun violence incident that broke out on the evening of April 18 at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area just as deputies were dispersing an unlawful assembly of several hundred people.
Prior to the Shooting
Sacramento County law enforcement first arrived at the park just after 6:30 PM on April 18 after learning of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. After that, a follow-up call was made concerning a possible physical fight unfolding inside the park.
Air support was sent to survey the area but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Nevertheless, it was Howe Park Sacramento gunfire apparent that a crowd of several hundred had gathered without authorization without authorization.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Deputies began the process of clearing the park by forming a perimeter and issuing commands over loudspeakers ordering those gathered to clear out. Approximately 15 minutes were spent for the gathering to break up.
As the crowd was being cleared that between 20 and 25 rounds echoed through the night. The barrage of gunfire sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Deputies wasted no time in searching for victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Altogether, four victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. The shooting victims — comprising three men and one woman ranging in age through their in their early to late twenties — were transported to nearby hospitals. Hospital staff indicated that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one sustained moderate wounds, and one suffered minor injuries. According to authorities, each of the four victims was stable.
Metro Fire Sacramento also responded and provided medical assistance those with gunshot wounds at the scene.
The Investigation
The center of the incident seemed to have happened near the Cottage Way side of the park near the Home Depot located at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators found more spent casings scattered along Cottage Way. Projectile impacts were also found in the iron perimeter fence near the Home Depot. This evidence pointed to that a shooter had been aiming south from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was secured under a brief lockdown for a period of time. CSI units alongside detectives worked tirelessly late into the evening.
Detainees in Solano County
Details gathered over police scanner frequencies confirmed that a Kia connected to the shooting was pulled over in an area within Solano County. Four occupants were taken into custody. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for formal questioning. Surveillance footage made clear that there were two gunmen.