Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are examining a violent incident that erupted Saturday evening at Howe Community Park just as Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were shutting down a large unsanctioned party of several hundred people.
How It Started
Deputies were first dispatched to the park at about 6:30 Saturday evening after receiving reports of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Not long after, a follow-up call was made about a possible fight occurring inside the park.
A sheriff's airship flew over the park but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Despite this, deputies found that a massive group had come together at the location without permission.
The Shooting Itself
Officers started clearing the unauthorized gathering by positioning themselves around the crowd and using their vehicle PA systems ordering the hundreds present to disperse at once. Roughly 15 minutes were given for the gathering to break up.
Just as the crowd began to move that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition were discharged. The rapid succession of shots sent hundreds fleeing. Responding personnel at once began looking for those injured.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Ultimately, four individuals were located with gunshot injuries. Those injured — a group of one female and three male victims each reported to Sacramento County Sheriff shooting investigation be in their early to late twenties — were rushed to area medical facilities. Medical teams confirmed that two victims were in serious condition, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one suffered minor injuries. In a positive development, all four were expected to survive.
Sacramento fire crews were called to the scene and helped triage those who had been shot at the scene.
What Investigators Found
The bulk of the shooting seemed to have taken place adjacent to the Cottage Way side of the park next to the Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators located more spent casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet damage were identified in the iron perimeter fence near the nearby Home Depot. These findings confirmed that at least one of the shooters had been aiming south from Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot store. The Home Depot was secured under a brief lockdown during the incident. Crime scene personnel remained on scene late into the evening.
Arrests Made
Details gathered via scanner audio established that a Kia had been stopped in Solano County California. Four people were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sheriff's units were sent to retrieve the detainees to transport the detainees for questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators made clear that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.