Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a gun violence incident that occurred Saturday night April 18 at the Howe Community Park area at the moment authorities were dispersing a large unauthorized gathering of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Prior to the Shooting
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies first arrived at the Arden-Arcade park at approximately 6:30 in the evening after learning of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Shortly after, a second call came in concerning a possible fight breaking out within the park grounds.
An overhead unit flew over the park but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Regardless, it was evident that a massive group had gathered without authorization without Sacramento County Sheriff shooting investigation authorization.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Deputies moved to clear the area by forming a perimeter and announcing over their public address systems ordering those gathered to go home. About 15 minutes were given for individuals to vacate.
As the crowd was being cleared that 20 to 25 gunshots echoed through the night. The sudden gunfire caused mass panic. Law enforcement swiftly started looking for those injured.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Ultimately, four gunshot victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. The shooting victims — made up of one woman and three men all believed to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were brought to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Medical teams noted that two were treated for serious injuries, one had moderate injuries, and one victim's wounds were minor. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire also responded and helped care for shooting victims prior to hospital transport.
Evidence at the Scene
The primary shooting scene was determined to have happened on Cottage Way next to the Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators located additional shell casings on Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were identified in the wrought iron perimeter fencing near the Home Depot store. This evidence confirmed that a second shooter had been shooting in a southerly direction from along Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot store. That Home Depot location was locked down for a period of time. CSI investigators and detectives kept processing evidence through the early morning hours.
Arrests Made
Reports confirmed over police scanner frequencies confirmed that a Kia connected to the shooting was pulled over in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento law enforcement were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for investigation. Video evidence made clear that two shooters had been involved.