Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are examining a shooting that took place Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park while deputies were breaking up an unlawful assembly of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Before the Gunfire
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially responded to the Arden-Arcade park around 6:30 in the evening after learning of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Shortly after, additional information came in mentioning a reported physical confrontation unfolding inside the park.
An overhead unit searched from above but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Even so, it was evident that a crowd of several hundred had assembled at the park in an unauthorized manner.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies began the process of clearing the park by surrounding the park and using their vehicle PA systems telling the hundreds present to go home. About 15 minutes were allowed for individuals to vacate.
At the height of the dispersal effort that upwards of 20 gunshots echoed through the night. The shots caused mass Home Depot Sacramento shooting panic. Deputies at once began finding those who had been shot.
Four People Shot
When the dust settled, four gunshot victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. The four individuals — including a female and three males all reportedly in their mid to late twenties — were taken to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Emergency physicians stated that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one had moderate injuries, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. In a positive development, all four were in stable condition.
Metro Fire Sacramento assisted at the location and helped care for the four victims at the scene.
What Investigators Found
The center of the incident seemed to have unfolded on the Cottage Way side of the park adjacent to the Home Depot store on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Crime scene investigators found more spent casings scattered along Cottage Way. Bullet damage were discovered in the metal fencing near the Home Depot. These findings confirmed that at least one of the shooters had been sending rounds south from the Cottage Way area aimed at the Home Depot. The nearby Home Depot was locked down while the scene was active. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives remained on scene well into the night.
Arrests Made
Reports confirmed over scanner radio traffic revealed that a Kia had been stopped in the Solano County area. Four individuals were taken into custody. Law enforcement units were en route to collect those detained to return them to Sacramento for formal questioning. Video reviewed at the scene showed that two shooters had been involved.