Law enforcement in Sacramento are examining a violent incident that unfolded Saturday evening at Howe Park at the moment authorities were clearing an unlawful assembly of hundreds of attendees.
How It Started
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to the Arden-Arcade park shortly before 6:30 Saturday evening after learning of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. After that, a second call came in describing a possible fight occurring inside the park.
Aerial units flew over the park but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Even so, authorities discovered that an enormous crowd had assembled at the park without official sanction.
The Shooting Itself
Officers started clearing the unauthorized gathering by setting up around the park's perimeter and broadcasting over loudspeakers directing the hundreds present to clear out. Nearly 15 minutes were provided for individuals to vacate.
It was during this dispersal that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition were fired. Gunfire caused mass panic. Law enforcement wasted no time in identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
By the time the scene was secured, four gunshot victims were found to have been shot. The victims — made up of one woman and three men all reportedly in their early to late twenties — were brought to local Sacramento hospitals. Doctors and nurses confirmed that two were treated for serious injuries, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. Fortunately, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento Howe Park shooting Sacramento Metro Fire provided support and helped care for the injured on location.
The Investigation
Most of the gunfire seemed to have unfolded adjacent to the Cottage Way side of the park close to the Home Depot located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Crime scene investigators recovered more spent casings scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were identified in the metal fencing bordering the Home Depot store. These discoveries suggested that a shooter had been shooting in a southerly direction from Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot building and parking lot. The Home Depot was temporarily locked down while law enforcement worked the area. Crime scene personnel worked tirelessly through the early morning hours.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information obtained over police scanner frequencies confirmed that a suspect Kia was pulled over in Solano County. Four occupants were taken into custody. Law enforcement units were sent to retrieve the detainees to return them to Sacramento for formal questioning. Video reviewed at the scene revealed that two shooters had been involved.