Sacramento authorities are looking into a shooting incident that unfolded Saturday evening at the Howe Community Park area as law enforcement were shutting down an unlawful assembly of several hundred people.
Before the Gunfire
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to Howe Community Park at about half past six in the evening after getting calls of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Soon after, a follow-up call was made mentioning a possible fight happening inside the park.
A sheriff's airship scanned the area from the air but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Nevertheless, it was evident that an enormous crowd had gathered without authorization in an unauthorized manner.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Officers started clearing the unauthorized gathering by encircling the gathering and making announcements telling the crowd to go home. Approximately 15 minutes were spent for the gathering to break up.
At the height of the dispersal effort that more info upwards of 20 gunshots rang out. The sudden gunfire sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Officers quickly moved to searching for victims.
The Shooting Victims
Altogether, four gunshot victims were discovered with shooting injuries. The victims — made up of one woman and three men each apparently in their early to late twenties — were taken to local Sacramento hospitals. Medical teams confirmed that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one had moderate injuries, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. As of last report, each of the four victims was stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District also responded and helped triage the four victims on location.
Physical Evidence
The main crime scene was confirmed to have taken place near Cottage Way next to the Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators found extra shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet holes were observed in the wrought iron fence alongside the Home Depot. The physical evidence pointed to that one of the gunmen had been sending rounds south from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was secured under a brief lockdown for a period of time. CSI investigators and detectives kept processing evidence well into the night.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Details gathered via scanner audio confirmed that a vehicle identified as a Kia had been stopped in the Solano County area. Four individuals were stopped and detained. Law enforcement units were heading to pick up the four detainees to transport the detainees for processing in Sacramento County. Video reviewed at the scene made clear that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.