Sacramento authorities are probing a shooting that erupted late Saturday at Howe Park in Sacramento at the time authorities were shutting down an unauthorized event of multiple hundreds of people.
Prior to the Shooting
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies initially got calls about the park at approximately 6:30 PM after learning of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Not long after, a follow-up call was made mentioning a possible fight breaking out at the location.
A law enforcement helicopter was sent to survey the area but was unable to locate the reported altercation. Regardless, authorities discovered that several hundred individuals had assembled at the park without official sanction.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Officers started clearing the unauthorized gathering by surrounding the park and broadcasting over loudspeakers commanding those gathered to vacate the area. About 15 minutes were spent for attendees to disperse.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition were discharged. The barrage of gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Law enforcement at once began locating gunshot victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Altogether, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. All four — comprising three men and one woman all believed to be in their twenties — were brought to area medical facilities. Emergency physicians confirmed that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one person's injuries were considered minor. Thankfully, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento fire crews also responded and helped triage those who had been shot at the park.
Physical Evidence
The main crime scene appears to have been concentrated on the Cottage Way corridor near the Home Depot at the Howe Park Sacramento gunfire 2200 Howe Avenue block. CSI personnel recovered additional spent rounds on the Cottage Way roadway. Round impacts were discovered in the wrought iron perimeter fencing adjacent to the Home Depot store. These discoveries pointed to that a shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area aimed at the Home Depot building and parking lot. That Home Depot location was put under lockdown as a precaution. CSI units alongside detectives worked tirelessly late into the evening.
Detainees in Solano County
Details gathered over police scanner frequencies revealed that a vehicle identified as a Kia had been detained in the Solano County area. Four occupants were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento law enforcement were heading to pick up the four detainees to collect the individuals for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators established that there were two gunmen.