Officials in Sacramento County are looking into a shooting that occurred read more Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park as officers were clearing an unauthorized event of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Background
Sacramento County law enforcement were first called to the park at about 6:30 Saturday evening after being notified of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Shortly after, a follow-up call was made regarding a possible fight happening inside the park.
A law enforcement helicopter scanned the area from the air but was unable to locate the reported altercation. Even so, deputies found that an enormous crowd had assembled at the park in an unauthorized manner.
The Shooting Itself
Law enforcement personnel started clearing the unauthorized gathering by encircling the gathering and making announcements ordering the crowd to clear out. Nearly 15 minutes were provided for the crowd to leave.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that an estimated 20 to 25 shots were fired. Gunfire sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies immediately began looking for those injured.
Four Gunshot Victims
Altogether, four people were confirmed as gunshot victims. The shooting victims — made up of one woman and three men all believed to be in their 20s — were transported to area medical facilities. Emergency physicians reported that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one had injuries classified as minor. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire arrived on scene and provided medical assistance those with gunshot wounds before they were taken to the hospital.
Physical Evidence
The bulk of the shooting appears to have been concentrated near the Cottage Way corridor near the Home Depot store on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Detectives found more spent casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Projectile impacts were observed in the wrought iron fence alongside the Home Depot store. This evidence suggested that one of the gunmen had been sending rounds south from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. The store itself was put under lockdown while law enforcement worked the area. Crime scene personnel stayed at the location late into the evening.
Suspects Detained
Reports confirmed over scanner radio traffic showed that a vehicle identified as a Kia had been stopped in the Solano County area. Four individuals were detained. Law enforcement units were dispatched to Solano County to collect the individuals for further questioning. Video evidence revealed that two shooters had been involved.