Sacramento County deputies are looking into a gun violence incident that erupted late Saturday at Howe Park while authorities were dispersing an unlawful assembly of a crowd of several hundred.
How It Started
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies initially responded to the park on Howe Avenue shortly before 6:30 in the evening after being notified of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Soon after, a second caller reported mentioning an alleged brawl breaking out inside the park.
A sheriff's airship was sent to survey the area but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Nevertheless, authorities discovered that a crowd of several hundred had gathered without authorization without permission.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Responding units started clearing the unauthorized gathering by surrounding the park and issuing commands over loudspeakers commanding the hundreds present to go home. Roughly 15 minutes were spent for individuals to vacate.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 gunshots rang out. The barrage of gunfire caused mass panic. Law enforcement quickly moved to identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
Altogether, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. Those injured website — made up of one woman and three men each apparently in their early to late twenties — were airlifted or driven to area medical facilities. Doctors and nurses confirmed that two victims were in serious condition, one sustained moderate wounds, and one suffered minor injuries. According to authorities, all four were expected to survive.
Metro Fire Sacramento also responded and helped care for those who had been shot at the scene.
The Investigation
The center of the incident seemed to have been concentrated adjacent to the Cottage Way side of the park close to the Home Depot store on the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Crime scene investigators located additional spent rounds throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet holes were also found in the wrought iron perimeter fencing surrounding the Home Depot store. These findings showed that a second shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area aimed at the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was secured under a brief lockdown as a precaution. CSI investigators and detectives worked tirelessly through the early morning hours.
Suspects Detained
Intelligence received over police scanner frequencies indicated that a Kia connected to the shooting was contacted by law enforcement in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were held for questioning. Sacramento law enforcement were dispatched to Solano County to pick up those detained for processing in Sacramento County. Surveillance footage revealed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.