Law enforcement in Sacramento are working a shooting that occurred late Saturday at Howe Park while officers were dissolving an unsanctioned gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
Background
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially got calls about the Arden-Arcade park at approximately 6:30 Saturday evening after learning of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Not long after, a second call came in describing an alleged brawl happening inside the park.
An overhead unit scanned the area from the air but reported no active disturbance. Nevertheless, it was apparent that several hundred individuals had gathered without authorization Howe Park shooting Sacramento without permission.
The Shooting Itself
Deputies began the process of clearing the park by encircling the gathering and using their vehicle PA systems instructing those gathered to clear out. Roughly 15 minutes were allotted for people to comply.
It was during this dispersal that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition rang out. The barrage of gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Officers quickly moved to identifying shooting victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Ultimately, four individuals were located with gunshot injuries. The victims — consisting of one woman and three men all reportedly in their 20s — were airlifted or driven to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Emergency physicians stated that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one person's injuries were considered minor. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento fire crews also responded and assisted with medical triage those with gunshot wounds on location.
What Investigators Found
Most of the gunfire was confirmed to have been concentrated on the Cottage Way corridor close to the Home Depot store at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Investigators located additional spent rounds along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were discovered in the metal fencing alongside the Home Depot store. The physical evidence suggested that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot. The store itself was secured under a brief lockdown for a period of time. Crime scene personnel worked tirelessly late into the evening.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information relayed through law enforcement radio communications revealed that a suspect Kia had been stopped in an area within Solano County. Four individuals were stopped and detained. Sheriff's units were heading to pick up the four detainees to bring the suspects back for investigation. Video reviewed at the scene established that two individuals had fired weapons.