Sacramento authorities are investigating a gun violence incident that broke out late Saturday at Howe Park in Sacramento at the time authorities were shutting down a large unsanctioned party of several hundred people.
What Led to the Shooting
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office first arrived at the park around 6:30 in the evening after being notified of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Following that, a second caller reported about a reported physical confrontation unfolding near the park.
A law enforcement helicopter was sent to survey the area but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. However, it became clear that an enormous crowd had gathered without authorization without permission.
When the Shots Rang Out
Responding units worked to disperse the crowd by positioning themselves around the crowd and broadcasting over loudspeakers instructing the crowd to disperse at once. Roughly 15 minutes were allowed for attendees to disperse.
At the height of the dispersal effort that upwards of 20 gunshots were fired. The shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Responding personnel immediately began identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
By the time the scene was secured, four individuals were identified as having gunshot wounds. The shooting victims — made up of one woman and three men each reported to be in their 20s at the time of the incident more info — were rushed to local Sacramento hospitals. Hospital staff noted that two had critical injury classifications, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one had injuries classified as minor. Thankfully, all four were in stable condition.
Metro Fire Sacramento also responded and helped care for those who had been shot at the scene.
Crime Scene Evidence
The bulk of the shooting appears to have unfolded along the Cottage Way corridor adjacent to the local Home Depot situated at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Law enforcement investigators recovered more spent casings scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were observed in the metal fencing alongside the nearby Home Depot. These discoveries pointed to that a second shooter had been shooting in a southerly direction from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot store. That Home Depot location was temporarily locked down during the incident. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives stayed at the location well into the night.
Detainees in Solano County
Information relayed over police scanner frequencies confirmed that a Kia had been stopped in the Solano County area. Four detainees were stopped and detained. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were en route to collect those detained to transport the detainees for processing in Sacramento County. Video that was reviewed confirmed that two individuals had fired weapons.