Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a shooting incident that took place Saturday evening at the Howe Community Park area while law enforcement were breaking up an unauthorized event of hundreds of attendees.
Prior to the Shooting
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to the park on Howe Avenue at about 6:30 Saturday evening after receiving reports of people potentially Cottage Way shooting Sacramento armed with concealed firearms. After that, a second call came in describing an alleged brawl occurring near the park.
A sheriff's airship scanned the area from the air but reported no active disturbance. Even so, authorities discovered that hundreds of people had come together at the location in an unauthorized manner.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Deputies moved to clear the area by setting up around the park's perimeter and announcing over their public address systems directing the crowd to go home. Nearly 15 minutes were given for the gathering to break up.
Just as the crowd began to move that 20 to 25 gunshots echoed through the night. The rapid succession of shots triggered a stampede. Responding personnel swiftly started looking for those injured.
Four Victims Hospitalized
By the time the scene was secured, four gunshot victims were discovered with shooting injuries. Those injured — including a female and three males each reported to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were brought to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Emergency physicians confirmed that two had critical injury classifications, one sustained moderate wounds, and one victim's wounds were minor. Fortunately, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire provided support and helped care for the injured on location.
The Investigation
The main crime scene seemed to have unfolded along Cottage Way next to the local Home Depot at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Investigators found extra shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Bullet damage were noted in the wrought iron perimeter fencing near the nearby Home Depot. These discoveries confirmed that at least one of the shooters had been sending rounds south from Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot. The store itself was placed on lockdown while law enforcement worked the area. CSI investigators and detectives continued working through the early morning hours.
Suspects Detained
Information relayed through law enforcement radio communications established that a suspect Kia was intercepted in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were taken into custody. Law enforcement units were en route to collect those detained to pick up those detained for investigation. Footage analyzed by investigators confirmed that two shooters had been involved.