Law enforcement in Sacramento are investigating a gunfire incident that occurred on the evening of April 18 at Howe Park in Sacramento at the time authorities were dissolving an unlawful assembly of multiple hundreds of people.
Background
Deputies were first called to Howe Community Park at about 6:30 in the evening after receiving reports of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Shortly after, a second call came in describing a possible fight unfolding within the park grounds.
A law enforcement helicopter scanned the area from the air but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Despite this, deputies found that hundreds of people had come together at the location without official sanction.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Responding units started clearing the unauthorized gathering by forming a perimeter and announcing over their public address systems commanding those gathered to leave immediately. Nearly 15 minutes were provided for attendees to disperse.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition rang out. The sudden gunfire caused mass panic. Responding personnel quickly moved to looking for those injured.
Four Gunshot Victims
In total, four individuals were identified as having gunshot wounds. The four individuals — comprising three men and one woman each reported to be in their mid to late twenties — were transported to Sacramento area hospitals. Medical teams confirmed that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one sustained moderate wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. In a positive development, all four were expected to survive.
Metro Fire Sacramento were called to the scene and helped care for shooting victims at the park.
Physical Evidence
The primary shooting scene was confirmed to have occurred near the Cottage Way side of the park near the local Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. CSI personnel discovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet damage were noted in the wrought iron fence adjacent to the nearby Home Depot. The physical evidence suggested that at least one shooter had been aiming south from along Cottage Way toward the Home Depot. The nearby Home read more Depot was temporarily locked down during the incident. CSI units alongside detectives worked tirelessly well into the night.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information relayed through law enforcement radio communications showed that a Kia connected to the shooting was intercepted in the Solano County area. Four people were stopped and detained. Sacramento law enforcement were dispatched to Solano County to collect the individuals for formal questioning. Surveillance footage confirmed that two separate shooters participated in the incident.