Law enforcement in Sacramento are working a gun violence incident that broke out late Saturday at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area as deputies were shutting down a large unauthorized gathering of hundreds of attendees.
Background
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially got calls about the park on Howe Avenue shortly before half past six in the evening after being notified of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Following that, a follow-up call was made describing an alleged brawl occurring inside the park.
Air support scanned the area from the air but was unable to locate the reported altercation. Nevertheless, authorities discovered that several hundred individuals had assembled at the park without authorization.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Law enforcement personnel started clearing the unauthorized gathering by forming a perimeter and announcing over their public address systems instructing the assembled crowd to clear out. Around 15 minutes were allotted for attendees to disperse.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 gunshots were fired. Gunfire sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Responding personnel quickly moved to identifying shooting victims.
Those Who Were Hit
Ultimately, four gunshot victims were discovered with shooting injuries. The shooting victims — consisting of one woman and three men ranging in age through their in their twenties — were transported to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Emergency physicians stated that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one sustained moderate wounds, and one sustained minor gunshot wounds. As of last report, each of the four victims was stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District provided support and aided in treating those who had been shot before they were taken to more info the hospital.
What Investigators Found
The main crime scene was confirmed to have taken place near Cottage Way adjacent to the Home Depot store located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Law enforcement investigators identified additional shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were discovered in the iron perimeter fence surrounding the nearby Home Depot. This evidence suggested that at least one of the shooters had been shooting in a southerly direction from Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot. The nearby Home Depot was placed on lockdown for a period of time. Crime scene personnel stayed at the location for hours.
Arrests Made
Information obtained through scanner monitoring established that a suspect Kia had been stopped in Solano County. Four individuals were taken into custody. Sacramento law enforcement were dispatched to Solano County to return them to Sacramento for questioning. Video evidence established that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.