Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a shooting that broke out Saturday evening at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area at the time authorities were shutting down a large unsanctioned party of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Before the Gunfire
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were first dispatched to Howe Community Park shortly before half past six in the evening after obtaining information of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Not long after, additional information came in about a possible physical fight taking place within the park grounds.
Air support scanned the area from the air but reported no active disturbance. Despite this, it was apparent that a crowd of several hundred had come together at the location without authorization.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Law enforcement personnel set about removing people from the park by surrounding the park and broadcasting over loudspeakers telling those gathered to leave immediately. Roughly 15 minutes were given for the crowd to leave.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition echoed through the night. The sudden gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Officers immediately began locating gunshot victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Altogether, four people were confirmed as gunshot victims. The four individuals — comprising three men and one woman each reported to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were taken to Sacramento area hospitals. Doctors and nurses reported that two had critical injury classifications, one sustained moderate wounds, and one suffered minor injuries. Thankfully, all four victims survived and were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department arrived on scene and helped care for those with gunshot wounds at the park.
Evidence at the Scene
The main crime scene seemed to have unfolded adjacent to the Cottage Way side of the park adjacent to the Home Depot store located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Investigators discovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Round impacts were identified in the wrought iron perimeter fencing alongside the Home Depot store. This evidence suggested that a shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area in the Howe Park shooting Sacramento direction of the Home Depot store. That Home Depot location was placed on lockdown as a precaution. CSI units alongside detectives continued working well into the night.
Suspects Detained
Details gathered through scanner monitoring confirmed that a suspect Kia was intercepted in Solano County. Four detainees were taken into custody. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Solano County to pick up those detained for further questioning. Video reviewed at the scene revealed that there were two gunmen.