Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are probing a shooting incident that erupted Saturday evening at Howe Community Park as Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were shutting down an unlawful assembly of multiple hundreds of people.
Background
Deputies initially responded to Howe Park around 6:30 PM after learning of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Following that, a second caller reported describing a reported physical confrontation happening at the location.
A sheriff's airship flew over the park but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Even so, deputies found that hundreds of people had assembled at the park without authorization.
When the Shots Rang Out
Officers moved to clear the area by positioning themselves around the crowd and announcing over their public address systems commanding the assembled crowd to vacate the area. About 15 minutes were allowed for the gathering to break up.
Just as the crowd began to move that upwards of 20 gunshots cut through the air. The barrage of gunfire caused mass panic. Deputies swiftly started identifying shooting victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Altogether, four individuals were located with gunshot injuries. The shooting victims — consisting of one woman and three men each reported to be in their mid to late twenties — were brought to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Medical personnel confirmed that two had critical injury classifications, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one person's injuries were considered minor. According to authorities, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department arrived on scene and helped triage those with gunshot wounds on location.
Physical Evidence
The main crime scene seemed to have happened along the Cottage Way side of the park close to the Home Depot on the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Law enforcement investigators identified extra shell casings along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were observed in the wrought iron perimeter fencing alongside the Home Depot. This ballistic evidence confirmed that a second shooter had been aiming south from Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot building and parking lot. The store itself was secured under a brief lockdown for a period of time. Crime scene technicians and detectives kept processing evidence through the early morning hours.
Suspects Detained
Reports confirmed over scanner radio traffic showed that a suspect Kia was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County California. Howe Park shooting Sacramento Four people were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for further questioning. Video reviewed at the scene showed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.