Sacramento authorities are working a shooting that took place late Saturday at Howe Park just as law enforcement were dispersing an unsanctioned gathering of hundreds of attendees.
Prior to the Shooting
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially got calls about the park around 6:30 Saturday evening after obtaining information of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Shortly after, a follow-up call was made describing a possible fight unfolding near the park.
Air support flew over the park but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Despite this, authorities discovered that a massive group had congregated check here at Howe Park without any permit or approval.
When the Shots Rang Out
Responding units set about removing people from the park by positioning themselves around the crowd and issuing commands over loudspeakers instructing attendees to go home. Roughly 15 minutes were spent for the crowd to leave.
As the crowd was being cleared that between 20 and 25 rounds rang out. The shots caused mass panic. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies immediately began finding those who had been shot.
The Shooting Victims
Altogether, four victims were found to have been shot. Those injured — made up of one woman and three men each apparently in their twenties — were transported to local Sacramento hospitals. Doctors and nurses indicated that two had critical injury classifications, one sustained moderate wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. In a positive development, all four victims survived and were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire arrived on scene and helped care for the injured at the park.
What Investigators Found
The center of the incident was confirmed to have unfolded adjacent to Cottage Way close to the Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Detectives recovered additional spent rounds scattered along Cottage Way. Projectile impacts were noted in the wrought iron fence near the Home Depot store. The physical evidence confirmed that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was locked down while law enforcement worked the area. Crime scene personnel worked tirelessly through the early morning hours.
Suspects Detained
Reports confirmed over scanner radio traffic established that a vehicle identified as a Kia was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County California. Four individuals were detained. Law enforcement units were en route to collect those detained to transport the detainees for questioning. Video evidence made clear that two individuals had fired weapons.