Officials in Sacramento County are examining a shooting incident that erupted Saturday evening at Howe Park in Sacramento at the time officers were shutting down an unlawful assembly of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Background
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were first dispatched to the Arden-Arcade park just after 6:30 PM on April 18 after receiving reports of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Not long after, a follow-up call was made concerning a reported physical confrontation happening near the park.
An overhead unit was sent to survey the area but was unable to locate the reported altercation. However, authorities discovered that a massive group had packed into the park in an unauthorized manner.
The Shooting Itself
Responding units moved to clear the area by setting up around the park's perimeter and announcing over their public address systems ordering those gathered to clear out. Around 15 minutes were allowed for the crowd to leave.
Just as the crowd began to move that upwards of 20 gunshots echoed through the night. The shots sent the crowd running in all directions. Law enforcement wasted no time in searching for victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Altogether, four people were found to have been shot. read more Those injured — including a female and three males all reportedly in their 20s at the time of the incident — were taken to area medical facilities. Medical personnel noted that two victims were in serious condition, one had moderate injuries, and one victim's wounds were minor. As of last report, all four victims survived and were stable.
Metro Fire Sacramento provided support and helped triage the four victims prior to hospital transport.
The Investigation
The center of the incident was determined to have unfolded near the Cottage Way side of the park next to the Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Crime scene investigators located additional spent rounds on Cottage Way. Round impacts were observed in the metal fencing adjacent to the Home Depot. These findings suggested that at least one shooter had been sending rounds south from the Cottage Way area targeting the Home Depot store. The nearby Home Depot was put under lockdown while the scene was active. Crime scene personnel continued working throughout the night.
Arrests Made
Intelligence received over scanner radio traffic revealed that a Kia was pulled over in Solano County California. Four detainees were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento law enforcement were dispatched to Solano County to return them to Sacramento for investigation. Surveillance footage showed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.