Chaos at Howe Community Park Injures 4 People Shot in Sacramento County's Arden-Arcade Neighborhood
Sacramento County deputies are probing a gun violence incident that occurred Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park in Sacramento just as officers were shutting down an unsanctioned gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
Background
Law enforcement were first dispatched to Howe Community Park at about 6:30 PM after being notified of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Shortly after, a follow-up call was made mentioning an alleged brawl breaking out near the park.
Air support flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. Regardless, deputies found that a crowd of several hundred had come together at the location without official sanction.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Deputies started clearing the unauthorized gathering by setting up around the park's perimeter and broadcasting over loudspeakers instructing the hundreds present to disperse at once. About 15 minutes were provided for attendees to disperse.
At the height of the dispersal effort that between 20 and 25 rounds were fired. The barrage of gunfire triggered a stampede. Officers quickly moved to searching for victims.
Those Who Were Hit
In total, four shooting victims were located with gunshot injuries. The four individuals — comprising three men and one woman ranging in age through their in their early to late twenties — were airlifted or driven to area medical facilities. Medical personnel confirmed that two were treated for serious injuries, one sustained moderate wounds, and one victim's wounds were minor. In a positive development, all four were in stable condition.
Metro Fire Sacramento also responded and aided in treating shooting victims before they were taken to the hospital.
What Investigators Found
The center of the incident appears to have happened on get more info the Cottage Way corridor next to the Home Depot store located at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. CSI personnel discovered additional shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Ballistic damage were observed in the iron perimeter fence near the Home Depot. The physical evidence suggested that one of the gunmen had been firing southward from the Cottage Way area in the direction of the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was locked down during the incident. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives remained on scene throughout the night.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information obtained over police scanner frequencies revealed that a vehicle identified as a Kia was pulled over in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were en route to collect those detained to transport the detainees for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators established that two shooters had been involved.