Sacramento authorities are examining a shooting that took place on the evening of April 18 at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area just as officers were dispersing an unlawful assembly of a crowd of several hundred.
Background
Deputies initially responded to the park on Howe Avenue at about 6:30 PM after being notified of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Not long after, here another report was received regarding an alleged brawl happening at Howe Park.
Aerial units searched from above but could not confirm any ongoing fight. However, it became clear that an enormous crowd had congregated at Howe Park without official sanction.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies set about removing people from the park by encircling the gathering and broadcasting over loudspeakers instructing those gathered to go home. About 15 minutes were allotted for people to comply.
It was during this dispersal that between 20 and 25 rounds cut through the air. Gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Responding personnel swiftly started finding those who had been shot.
Four Victims Hospitalized
In total, four shooting victims were located with gunshot injuries. Those injured — consisting of one woman and three men all believed to be in their 20s — were airlifted or driven to nearby hospitals. Hospital staff reported that two had critical injury classifications, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one victim's wounds were minor. Fortunately, all four were expected to survive.
Sacramento fire crews provided support and helped triage those with gunshot wounds at the park.
Evidence at the Scene
Most of the gunfire was confirmed to have taken place adjacent to the Cottage Way side of the park near the Home Depot store on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Detectives found further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were also found in the iron perimeter fence alongside the nearby Home Depot. This evidence pointed to that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot store. The Home Depot was put under lockdown for a period of time. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives continued working for hours.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information relayed through law enforcement radio communications established that a Kia was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County California. Four people were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sheriff's units were en route to collect those detained to return them to Sacramento for investigation. Surveillance footage established that two individuals had fired weapons.