Officials in Sacramento County are investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park just as law enforcement were dissolving an unlawful assembly of hundreds of attendees.
Background
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were first dispatched to the Arden-Arcade park just after 6:30 Saturday evening after getting calls of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. After that, a second call came in describing a reported physical confrontation breaking out near the park.
A law enforcement helicopter conducted an aerial sweep but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Despite this, it became clear that an enormous crowd had congregated at Howe Park without authorization.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Responding units worked to disperse the crowd by encircling the gathering and announcing over their public address systems instructing the crowd to clear out. About 15 minutes were allowed for the crowd to leave.
It was during this dispersal that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition cut through the air. The rapid succession of shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Responding personnel immediately began identifying shooting victims.
The Shooting Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four gunshot victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. The four individuals — consisting of one woman and three men all believed to be in their 20s — were rushed to local Sacramento hospitals. Emergency physicians noted that two were treated for serious injuries, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one had injuries classified as minor. According to authorities, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire arrived on scene and helped triage those with gunshot wounds before they were taken to the hospital.
What Investigators Found
The main crime scene appears to have taken place adjacent to the Cottage Way side of the park adjacent to the Home Depot located at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. CSI personnel recovered extra shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were observed in the wrought iron perimeter fencing alongside the nearby Home Depot. This ballistic evidence indicated that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from along Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was temporarily locked down during the incident. Crime scene personnel kept processing evidence well into the night.
Suspects Detained
Details gathered over scanner radio traffic revealed that a Kia had been detained in the Solano click here County area. Four people were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento law enforcement were en route to collect those detained to transport the detainees for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators confirmed that two shooters had been involved.