Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a gun violence incident that unfolded on the evening of April 18 at Howe Park in Sacramento just as authorities were breaking up a large unauthorized gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
How It Started
Deputies initially got calls about the park at approximately 6:30 PM on April 18 after getting calls of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. After that, a follow-up call was made describing a reported physical confrontation breaking out near the park.
A law enforcement helicopter conducted an aerial sweep but was unable to locate the reported altercation. Despite this, it was evident that several hundred individuals had assembled at the park without permission.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies moved to clear the area by encircling the gathering and broadcasting over loudspeakers directing the hundreds present to vacate the area. Around 15 minutes were allowed for people to comply.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 gunshots echoed through the night. The sudden gunfire caused mass panic. Officers wasted no time in locating gunshot victims.
Four People Shot
In total, four victims were found to have been shot. All four — consisting of one woman and three men ranging in age through their in their early to late twenties — were transported to nearby hospitals. Doctors and nurses unauthorized gathering shooting Sacramento indicated that two victims were in serious condition, one sustained moderate wounds, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. Fortunately, all four were in stable condition.
Metro Fire Sacramento assisted at the location and aided in treating those with gunshot wounds at the scene.
Physical Evidence
The center of the incident was believed to have happened near Cottage Way close to the Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Detectives recovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were also found in the iron perimeter fence adjacent to the Home Depot. These findings pointed to that a second shooter had been firing southward from along Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot building and parking lot. The store itself was placed on lockdown while law enforcement worked the area. Crime scene personnel kept processing evidence throughout the night.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Details gathered through scanner monitoring established that a suspect Kia was intercepted in the Solano County area. Four detainees were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to transport the detainees for further questioning. Video reviewed at the scene showed that there were two gunmen.