Sacramento authorities are check here probing a violent incident that occurred on the evening of April 18 at the Howe Community Park area while Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were dissolving a large unsanctioned party of several hundred people.
Before the Gunfire
Law enforcement initially responded to the park at approximately 6:30 in the evening after learning of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Shortly after, another report was received regarding a reported physical confrontation breaking out at the location.
A sheriff's airship searched from above but reported no active disturbance. Nevertheless, it was evident that a massive group had congregated at Howe Park without official sanction.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies set about removing people from the park by setting up around the park's perimeter and making announcements telling the crowd to clear out. Roughly 15 minutes were allotted for the crowd to leave.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 gunshots were fired. The rapid succession of shots sent hundreds fleeing. Officers quickly moved to locating gunshot victims.
Four People Shot
When the dust settled, four gunshot victims were located with gunshot injuries. The four individuals — made up of one woman and three men ranging in age through their in their 20s — were airlifted or driven to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Doctors and nurses stated that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one suffered minor injuries. According to authorities, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire provided support and aided in treating shooting victims on location.
Physical Evidence
The bulk of the shooting was determined to have happened on Cottage Way near the Home Depot situated at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Detectives identified additional shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Bullet holes were noted in the iron fence bordering the Home Depot store. These discoveries suggested that a second shooter had been firing southward from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was locked down for a period of time. CSI investigators and detectives worked tirelessly late into the evening.
Suspects Detained
Details gathered via scanner audio revealed that a Kia connected to the shooting was pulled over in Solano County California. Four occupants were detained. Deputies were dispatched to Solano County to bring the suspects back for questioning. Video that was reviewed showed that there were two gunmen.