Sacramento authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred late Saturday at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area as law enforcement were dispersing a large unsanctioned party of several hundred people.
Before the Gunfire
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to Howe Park just after half past six in the evening after being notified of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Following that, a second caller reported describing an alleged brawl happening at Howe Park.
Air support flew over the park but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Even so, deputies found that a crowd of several hundred had gathered without authorization in an unauthorized manner.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Deputies started clearing the unauthorized gathering by encircling the gathering and issuing commands over loudspeakers telling the assembled crowd to disperse at once. Nearly 15 minutes were given for the gathering to break up.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition were discharged. The rapid succession of shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Officers quickly moved to searching for victims.
The Shooting Victims
Ultimately, four gunshot victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. All four — made up of one woman and three men each apparently in their 20s at the time of the incident — were rushed to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Emergency physicians noted that two victims were in serious condition, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one person's injuries were considered minor. According to authorities, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento Metro Fire also responded and helped care for shooting victims prior to hospital transport.
The Investigation
Most of the gunfire was determined to have happened on Cottage Way adjacent to the get more info local Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Investigators recovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Round impacts were noted in the wrought iron perimeter fencing near the Home Depot store. These discoveries suggested that at least one of the shooters had been shooting in a southerly direction from the Cottage Way area toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was secured under a brief lockdown while the scene was active. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives stayed at the location for hours.
Suspect Information
Reports confirmed over police scanner frequencies established that a suspect Kia was pulled over in the Solano County area. Four occupants were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Law enforcement units were traveling to Solano County to transport the detainees for questioning. Video that was reviewed established that two individuals had fired weapons.