Law enforcement in Sacramento are investigating a shooting that took place Saturday evening at Howe Park in Sacramento as Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were dissolving an unauthorized event of an estimated several hundred individuals.
How It Started
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies initially got calls about Howe Community Park shortly before half past six in the evening after being notified of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Soon after, a follow-up call was made mentioning a reported physical confrontation breaking out near the park.
Aerial units searched from above but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Despite this, it became clear that a crowd of several hundred had come together at the location in an unauthorized manner.
The Shooting Itself
Law enforcement personnel started clearing the unauthorized gathering by positioning themselves around the crowd and announcing over their public address systems commanding the assembled crowd to disperse at once. Nearly 15 minutes were spent for attendees to disperse.
At the height of the dispersal effort that between 20 and 25 rounds were fired. The rapid succession of shots triggered a stampede. Law enforcement wasted no time in identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
In total, four shooting victims were found to have been shot. The victims — consisting of one woman and three men ranging in age through their in their twenties — were rushed to local Sacramento hospitals. Medical teams stated that two victims were in serious website condition, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one suffered minor injuries. Thankfully, all four victims survived and were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department arrived on scene and assisted with medical triage those with gunshot wounds before they were taken to the hospital.
What Investigators Found
The center of the incident was believed to have taken place along the Cottage Way side of the park adjacent to the Home Depot on the 2200 Howe Avenue block. CSI personnel found additional shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Round impacts were observed in the wrought iron perimeter fencing bordering the nearby Home Depot. These discoveries confirmed that a second shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot. The nearby Home Depot was secured under a brief lockdown for a period of time. CSI units alongside detectives stayed at the location throughout the night.
Arrests Made
Details gathered through law enforcement radio communications showed that a Kia vehicle was pulled over in Solano County California. Four occupants were detained. Deputies were heading to pick up the four detainees to bring the suspects back for questioning. Video reviewed at the scene established that two shooters had been involved.