Sacramento County deputies are investigating a gunfire incident that erupted on the evening of April 18 at the Howe Community Park area at the moment law enforcement were dispersing an unauthorized event of a crowd of several hundred.
Before the Gunfire
Law enforcement initially responded to the park shortly before 6:30 PM after obtaining information of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Not long after, a second call came in mentioning a possible physical fight unfolding at Howe Park.
A sheriff's airship scanned the area from the air but reported no active disturbance. Despite this, authorities discovered that several hundred individuals had assembled at the park without official sanction.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Officers worked to disperse the Home Depot Sacramento shooting crowd by encircling the gathering and using their vehicle PA systems directing the hundreds present to go home. Nearly 15 minutes were allotted for people to comply.
As the crowd was being cleared that 20 to 25 gunshots were discharged. The barrage of gunfire caused mass panic. Deputies at once began identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
Ultimately, four individuals were confirmed as gunshot victims. Those injured — consisting of one woman and three men each reported to be in their 20s — were taken to local Sacramento hospitals. Medical personnel reported that two were treated for serious injuries, one sustained moderate wounds, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Metro Fire Sacramento arrived on scene and aided in treating those who had been shot on location.
Crime Scene Evidence
The main crime scene seemed to have been concentrated on the Cottage Way corridor alongside the local Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators discovered additional spent rounds scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were observed in the wrought iron fence surrounding the Home Depot. This ballistic evidence showed that a second shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area toward the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was secured under a brief lockdown during the incident. Crime scene technicians and detectives worked tirelessly well into the night.
Detainees in Solano County
Information obtained over police scanner frequencies confirmed that a Kia connected to the shooting was intercepted in the Solano County area. Four individuals were held for questioning. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for questioning. Video evidence showed that two separate shooters participated in the incident.