Law enforcement in Sacramento are examining a shooting incident that broke out late Saturday at Howe Park at the moment law enforcement were dissolving a large unauthorized gathering of hundreds of attendees.
How It Started
Sacramento County law enforcement first arrived at the Arden-Arcade park around 6:30 Saturday evening after being notified of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Shortly after, a follow-up call was made regarding a potential altercation occurring at the location.
An overhead unit flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. Even so, deputies found that a crowd of several hundred had packed into the park without any permit or approval.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies worked to disperse the crowd by positioning themselves around the crowd and announcing over their public here address systems instructing those gathered to disperse at once. About 15 minutes were allowed for the gathering to break up.
As the crowd was being cleared that 20 to 25 gunshots cut through the air. The rapid succession of shots sent the crowd running in all directions. Deputies swiftly started finding those who had been shot.
Four Gunshot Victims
Altogether, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. The shooting victims — made up of one woman and three men all reportedly in their mid to late twenties — were brought to area medical facilities. Emergency physicians stated that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one had moderate injuries, and one victim's wounds were minor. In a positive development, each of the four victims was stable.
Metro Fire Sacramento were called to the scene and assisted with medical triage shooting victims prior to hospital transport.
Evidence at the Scene
Most of the gunfire appears to have unfolded on the Cottage Way side of the park close to the Home Depot located at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators recovered additional shell casings along Cottage Way. Projectile impacts were also found in the wrought iron fence alongside the Home Depot store. The physical evidence pointed to that a second shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area toward the Home Depot. The Home Depot was locked down during the incident. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives continued working late into the evening.
Suspect Information
Intelligence received through scanner monitoring showed that a vehicle identified as a Kia was intercepted in Solano County. Four people were stopped and detained. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Solano County to transport the detainees for questioning. Video evidence confirmed that two shooters had been involved.