Officials in Sacramento County are working a shooting that erupted Saturday evening at Howe Community Park at the time law enforcement were shutting down a large unsanctioned party of a crowd of several hundred.
How It Started
Deputies initially responded to the park on Howe Avenue at about half past six in the evening after more info getting calls of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Following that, a second caller reported about a possible physical fight happening within the park grounds.
Aerial units conducted an aerial sweep but reported no active disturbance. Despite this, it was evident that an enormous crowd had congregated at Howe Park without any permit or approval.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies set about removing people from the park by surrounding the park and issuing commands over loudspeakers ordering the assembled crowd to vacate the area. Roughly 15 minutes were allowed for the gathering to break up.
It was during this dispersal that an estimated 20 to 25 shots cut through the air. The rapid succession of shots caused mass panic. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies wasted no time in identifying shooting victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Ultimately, four people were found to have been shot. The shooting victims — made up of one woman and three men all reportedly in their twenties — were transported to local Sacramento hospitals. Medical personnel noted that two victims were in serious condition, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one suffered minor injuries. As of last report, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department assisted at the location and helped triage the injured at the park.
Crime Scene Evidence
The center of the incident was determined to have taken place along the Cottage Way side of the park next to the Home Depot store at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators recovered more spent casings scattered along Cottage Way. Round impacts were also found in the wrought iron perimeter fencing adjacent to the Home Depot store. This ballistic evidence pointed to that a second shooter had been aiming south from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot store. The nearby Home Depot was secured under a brief lockdown during the incident. Crime scene personnel continued working late into the evening.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information relayed through scanner monitoring established that a Kia vehicle was pulled over in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were stopped and detained. Law enforcement units were heading to pick up the four detainees to collect the individuals for processing in Sacramento County. Video that was reviewed established that there were two gunmen.