Sacramento authorities are probing a gun violence incident that occurred Saturday evening at Howe Park in Sacramento while officers were clearing a large unauthorized gathering of hundreds of attendees.
What Led to the Shooting
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were first dispatched to the park on Howe Avenue at about 6:30 in the evening after getting calls of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Following that, another report was received describing a possible fight taking place within the park grounds.
An overhead unit conducted an aerial sweep but was unable to locate the reported altercation. Nevertheless, it was evident that an enormous crowd read more had packed into the park without permission.
When the Shots Rang Out
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies worked to disperse the crowd by positioning themselves around the crowd and announcing over their public address systems telling the assembled crowd to clear out. Roughly 15 minutes were allowed for individuals to vacate.
It was during this dispersal that between 20 and 25 rounds rang out. Gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Deputies at once began finding those who had been shot.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Ultimately, four people were found to have been shot. All four — comprising three men and one woman ranging in age through their in their 20s — were transported to Sacramento area hospitals. Emergency physicians stated that two had critical injury classifications, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one victim's wounds were minor. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire assisted at the location and aided in treating shooting victims before they were taken to the hospital.
What Investigators Found
Most of the gunfire was confirmed to have happened adjacent to Cottage Way close to the local Home Depot situated at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Law enforcement investigators located further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings along Cottage Way. Round impacts were noted in the iron fence alongside the nearby Home Depot. This ballistic evidence pointed to that one of the gunmen had been sending rounds south from along Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was locked down during the incident. Crime scene personnel worked tirelessly through the early morning hours.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Details gathered over scanner radio traffic showed that a suspect Kia was pulled over in nearby Solano County. Four suspects were stopped and detained. Sheriff's units were en route to collect those detained to collect the individuals for formal questioning. Video reviewed at the scene showed that two separate shooters participated in the incident.