Sacramento authorities are probing a violent incident that occurred on the evening of April 18 at Howe Park as deputies were shutting down an unauthorized event of several hundred people.
Prior to the Shooting
Deputies were first called to the Arden-Arcade park just after 6:30 in the evening after receiving reports of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. After that, a second caller reported regarding a reported physical confrontation unfolding near the park.
An overhead unit scanned the area from the air but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Even so, authorities discovered that hundreds of people had gathered without authorization in an unauthorized manner.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies began the process of clearing the park by encircling the gathering and issuing commands over loudspeakers instructing the assembled crowd to vacate the area. Nearly 15 minutes were allotted for the crowd to leave.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that upwards of 20 gunshots were discharged. The rapid succession of shots caused mass panic. Officers swiftly started identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
By the time the scene was secured, four gunshot victims were discovered with shooting injuries. Those injured — including a female and three males all believed to be in their twenties — were airlifted or driven to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Doctors and nurses confirmed that two victims were in serious condition, one sustained moderate wounds, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. In a positive development, all four were in stable condition.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District assisted at the location and helped triage the four victims prior to hospital transport.
Evidence at the Scene
The bulk of the shooting was determined to have happened near the Cottage Way corridor next to the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Detectives recovered additional shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Ballistic damage were observed in the iron fence bordering the Home Depot store. This ballistic evidence suggested that a second shooter had been shooting in a southerly direction from along Cottage Way toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. That Home Depot location was locked down for a period of time. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives stayed at the location well into the night.
Suspects Detained
Reports confirmed over scanner radio more info traffic revealed that a suspect Kia had been detained in an area within Solano County. Four detainees were detained. Law enforcement units were traveling to Solano County to collect the individuals for investigation. Surveillance footage confirmed that two individuals had fired weapons.