Officials in Sacramento County are probing a gunfire incident that took place on the evening of April 18 at the Howe Community Park area just as authorities were breaking up an unauthorized event of a crowd of several hundred.
Background
Law enforcement initially responded to Howe Community Park at about 6:30 Saturday evening after learning of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Soon after, additional information came in concerning a reported physical confrontation breaking out near the park.
A law enforcement helicopter conducted an aerial sweep but reported no active disturbance. Nevertheless, it was evident that a crowd of several hundred had come together at the location without authorization.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies worked to disperse the crowd by encircling the gathering and broadcasting over loudspeakers telling the assembled crowd to vacate the area. Around 15 minutes were allowed for the crowd to leave.
While deputies worked to disperse more info the gathering that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition were discharged. The shots caused mass panic. Responding personnel wasted no time in locating gunshot victims.
The Shooting Victims
Ultimately, four shooting victims were discovered with shooting injuries. All four — including a female and three males each apparently in their 20s — were transported to local Sacramento hospitals. Medical personnel reported that two victims were in serious condition, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one victim's wounds were minor. In a positive development, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department also responded and helped care for shooting victims at the scene.
Crime Scene Evidence
The bulk of the shooting was determined to have happened along the Cottage Way side of the park alongside the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Investigators located further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Projectile impacts were also found in the wrought iron fence adjacent to the nearby Home Depot. These findings pointed to that a shooter had been sending rounds south from the Cottage Way area in the direction of the Home Depot building and parking lot. The store itself was locked down during the incident. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives stayed at the location throughout the night.
Suspect Information
Reports confirmed through scanner monitoring established that a Kia vehicle was intercepted in nearby Solano County. Four suspects were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Law enforcement units were dispatched to Solano County to pick up those detained for investigation. Video that was reviewed confirmed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.