Sacramento County deputies are probing a shooting incident that took place Saturday evening at the Howe Community Park area as deputies were shutting down an unsanctioned gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
Background
Law enforcement were first called to the park on Howe Avenue at about 6:30 in the evening after obtaining information of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Not long after, a follow-up call was made mentioning an alleged brawl breaking out at the location.
A sheriff's airship flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. Nevertheless, authorities discovered that a crowd of several hundred had assembled at the park in an unauthorized manner.
The Shooting Itself
Deputies started clearing the unauthorized gathering by forming a perimeter and making announcements commanding the assembled crowd to leave immediately. Nearly 15 minutes were allotted for the gathering to break up.
It was during this dispersal that 20 to 25 gunshots were fired. The rapid succession of shots sent hundreds fleeing. Law enforcement quickly moved to finding those who had been shot.
Four Gunshot Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four gunshot victims were discovered with shooting injuries. The shooting victims — a group of one female and three male victims each reported to be in more info their early to late twenties — were transported to area medical facilities. Doctors and nurses indicated that two were treated for serious injuries, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. In a positive development, all four victims survived and were stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were called to the scene and helped care for the four victims on location.
What Investigators Found
The primary shooting scene appears to have happened on the Cottage Way corridor next to the Home Depot store on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Investigators discovered additional shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were discovered in the iron fence bordering the nearby Home Depot. These findings confirmed that a second shooter had been sending rounds south from the Cottage Way area aimed at the Home Depot store. The Home Depot was placed on lockdown as a precaution. CSI units alongside detectives remained on scene well into the night.
Suspect Information
Information obtained through law enforcement radio communications revealed that a vehicle identified as a Kia was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County. Four people were detained. Sacramento law enforcement were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for questioning. Surveillance footage showed that there were two gunmen.