Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are working a violent incident that unfolded on the evening of April 18 at the Howe Community Park area just as deputies were dispersing an unsanctioned gathering of hundreds of attendees.
Background
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially responded to the Arden-Arcade park at approximately 6:30 PM on April 18 after learning of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Soon after, another report was received concerning a reported physical confrontation happening near the park.
Aerial units searched from above but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Nevertheless, it was evident that hundreds of people had assembled at the park without official sanction.
The Shooting Itself
Responding units worked to disperse the crowd by encircling the gathering and using their vehicle PA systems commanding the assembled crowd to vacate the area. Roughly 15 minutes were allotted for attendees to disperse.
It was during this dispersal that upwards of 20 gunshots cut through the air. Gunfire caused mass panic. Responding personnel at once began identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
Altogether, four people were found to have been shot. The victims — including a female and three males all reportedly in their 20s — were airlifted or driven to local Sacramento hospitals. Hospital staff indicated that two were treated for serious injuries, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. According to authorities, all four victims survived and were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arrived on scene and aided in treating the injured on location.
Physical Evidence
The bulk of the shooting appears to have occurred along Cottage Way close to the local Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. CSI personnel found additional spent rounds throughout the Cottage Way area. website Bullet damage were identified in the iron perimeter fence surrounding the Home Depot. These discoveries showed that one of the gunmen had been sending rounds south from the Cottage Way area aimed at the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was put under lockdown as a precaution. CSI units alongside detectives stayed at the location late into the evening.
Arrests Made
Intelligence received over police scanner frequencies revealed that a Kia connected to the shooting was pulled over in the Solano County area. Four detainees were stopped and detained. Deputies were traveling to Solano County to transport the detainees for processing in Sacramento County. Footage analyzed by investigators confirmed that two individuals had fired weapons.