Officials in Sacramento County are investigating a shooting that took place Saturday evening at the Howe Community Park area as Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were breaking up a large unsanctioned party of multiple hundreds of people.
Prior to the Shooting
Deputies initially got calls about the park on Howe Avenue just after 6:30 Saturday evening after receiving reports of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Soon after, a second caller reported mentioning a possible fight unfolding at Howe Park.
Air support scanned the area from the air but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Even so, it was evident that several hundred individuals had assembled at the park without authorization.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Law enforcement personnel began the process of clearing the park by encircling the gathering and broadcasting over loudspeakers directing the assembled crowd to disperse at once. Approximately 15 minutes were allowed for people to comply.
It was during this dispersal that between 20 and 25 rounds were fired. The rapid succession of shots sent the crowd running in all directions. Law enforcement swiftly started finding those who had been shot.
The Shooting Victims
Ultimately, four shooting victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. The four individuals — a group of one female and three male victims ranging in age through their in their mid to late twenties — were rushed to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Medical teams reported that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one had injuries classified as minor. In a positive development, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire were called to the scene and provided medical assistance the injured at the park.
What Investigators Found
The center of the incident was believed to have been concentrated on the Cottage Way side of the park next to the Home Depot located at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Law enforcement investigators found additional spent rounds scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were identified in the iron perimeter fence alongside the nearby Home Depot. This evidence suggested that at least one of the shooters had been shooting in a southerly direction from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. The Home Depot was locked down while the scene was active. Crime scene technicians and detectives kept processing evidence well into the night.
Suspect Information
Intelligence received through scanner monitoring revealed that a Kia was pulled over in nearby Solano County. Four suspects were stopped and detained. Deputies were traveling to Solano County to transport the website detainees for further questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators showed that two separate shooters participated in the incident.