Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a gunfire incident that unfolded late Saturday at the Howe Community Park area just as authorities were shutting down a large unauthorized gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
Background
Deputies initially got calls about the park around 6:30 in the evening after being notified of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Following that, a follow-up call was made describing a possible physical fight unfolding near the park.
A law enforcement helicopter searched from above but was unable to locate the reported altercation. Despite this, it was apparent that a crowd of several hundred had come together at the location without any permit or approval.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Law enforcement personnel worked to disperse the crowd by positioning themselves around the crowd and issuing commands over loudspeakers commanding the hundreds present 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 were fired. The barrage of gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies at once began looking for those injured.
Those Who Were Hit
By the time the scene was secured, four individuals were identified as having gunshot wounds. The four individuals — including a female and three males all reportedly in their mid to late twenties — were rushed to area medical facilities. Emergency physicians noted that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one sustained moderate wounds, and one suffered minor injuries. Fortunately, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento Metro Fire provided support and aided in treating the injured prior to hospital transport.
Evidence at the Scene
The primary shooting scene was confirmed to have been concentrated adjacent to Cottage Way alongside the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators located additional spent rounds on Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were noted in the iron fence alongside the Home Depot store. The physical evidence pointed to that at least one shooter had been sending rounds south from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot store. The store itself was placed on lockdown for a period of time. Crime scene personnel stayed at the location throughout the night.
Suspect Information
Details gathered through scanner monitoring confirmed that a Kia connected to the shooting had been detained in nearby Solano County. Four individuals were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Law enforcement units were heading to pick up the four detainees to bring the suspects back for here further questioning. Video evidence made clear that there were two gunmen.