Sacramento County deputies are examining a violent incident that unfolded Saturday evening at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area just as law enforcement were dissolving an unsanctioned gathering of several hundred people.
Before the Gunfire
Law enforcement were first called to the park around half past six in the evening after obtaining information of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Not long after, a second call came in concerning a potential altercation happening inside the park.
Air support flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. Despite this, it was evident that a crowd of several hundred had congregated at Howe Park without official sanction.
The Shooting Itself
Officers started clearing the unauthorized gathering by positioning themselves around the crowd and using their vehicle PA systems telling attendees to leave immediately. Roughly 15 minutes were provided for attendees to disperse.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that 20 to 25 gunshots cut through the air. Gunfire caused mass panic. Officers swiftly started locating gunshot victims.
Four People Shot
By the time the scene was secured, four individuals were identified as having gunshot wounds. All four — made up of one woman and three men each apparently in their early to late twenties — were brought to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Hospital staff confirmed that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. In a positive development, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento Metro Fire assisted at the location and helped triage the injured prior to hospital transport.
Crime Scene Evidence
The primary shooting scene seemed to have happened near the Cottage Way corridor next to the Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators located additional spent rounds throughout the Cottage Way area. Round impacts were identified in the wrought iron perimeter fencing surrounding the Home Depot. The physical evidence pointed to that at least one of the shooters had been shooting in a southerly direction from Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot building and parking lot. The Home Depot was locked down as a precaution. CSI units alongside detectives kept processing evidence well into the night.
Suspect Information
Intelligence here received via scanner audio indicated that a Kia connected to the shooting had been detained in Solano County. Four suspects were held for questioning. Sheriff's units were heading to pick up the four detainees to pick up those detained for further questioning. Video that was reviewed showed that two shooters had been involved.