Officials in Sacramento County are examining a shooting incident that broke out Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park at the time Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were get more info breaking up a large unsanctioned party of multiple hundreds of people.
Before the Gunfire
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were first dispatched to the Arden-Arcade park at about 6:30 PM on April 18 after getting calls of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Not long after, a follow-up call was made concerning a potential altercation occurring at the location.
Aerial units scanned the area from the air but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Even so, it was evident that an enormous crowd had gathered without authorization without any permit or approval.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Responding units worked to disperse the crowd by setting up around the park's perimeter and making announcements instructing the crowd to disperse at once. Approximately 15 minutes were allowed for people to comply.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that 20 to 25 gunshots rang out. The barrage of gunfire triggered a stampede. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies immediately began identifying shooting victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Altogether, four people were confirmed as gunshot victims. The shooting victims — comprising three men and one woman each apparently in their 20s at the time of the incident — were transported to Sacramento area hospitals. Emergency physicians reported that two victims were in serious condition, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one victim's wounds were minor. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arrived on scene and helped care for those with gunshot wounds prior to hospital transport.
The Investigation
The center of the incident was determined to have been concentrated along the Cottage Way corridor adjacent to the local Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Investigators located further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Ballistic damage were observed in the iron perimeter fence alongside the Home Depot store. These findings pointed to that one of the gunmen had been shooting in a southerly direction from the Cottage Way area aimed at the Home Depot store. The store itself was put under lockdown during the incident. Crime scene technicians and detectives kept processing evidence late into the evening.
Suspects Detained
Reports confirmed through scanner monitoring established that a Kia was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County California. Four suspects were held for questioning. Sacramento law enforcement were heading to pick up the four detainees to return them to Sacramento for further questioning. Video that was reviewed confirmed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.