Law enforcement in Sacramento are investigating a violent incident that erupted Saturday evening at Howe Community Park as law enforcement were breaking up an unauthorized event of hundreds of attendees.
Background
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially got calls about Howe Park just after 6:30 PM after being notified of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. After that, another report was received concerning a potential altercation occurring at Howe Park.
An overhead unit conducted an aerial sweep but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Despite this, deputies found that a crowd of several hundred had packed into the park without authorization.
The Shooting Itself
Law enforcement personnel worked to disperse the crowd by forming a perimeter and issuing commands over loudspeakers commanding the hundreds present to vacate the area. About 15 minutes were spent for individuals to vacate.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that an estimated 20 to 25 shots rang out. The sudden gunfire triggered a stampede. Sacramento County Sheriff's Cottage Way shooting Sacramento deputies swiftly started identifying shooting victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Altogether, four individuals were located with gunshot injuries. The four individuals — comprising three men and one woman ranging in age through their in their 20s at the time of the incident — were airlifted or driven to local Sacramento hospitals. Medical teams indicated that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one victim's wounds were minor. In a positive development, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire assisted at the location and helped care for those who had been shot before they were taken to the hospital.
The Investigation
The main crime scene was determined to have happened near the Cottage Way side of the park close to the Home Depot situated at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. CSI personnel identified additional shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet damage were discovered in the iron perimeter fence near the Home Depot store. This evidence showed that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from along Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was placed on lockdown while law enforcement worked the area. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives stayed at the location well into the night.
Suspect Information
Details gathered through law enforcement radio communications confirmed that a suspect Kia was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County. Four suspects were detained. Law enforcement units were traveling to Solano County to collect the individuals for formal questioning. Surveillance footage showed that two separate shooters participated in the incident.