Sacramento County deputies are examining a violent incident that occurred Saturday night April 18 at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area just as law enforcement were breaking up a large unauthorized gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
How It Started
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies first arrived at the park shortly before half past six in the evening after receiving reports of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. After that, additional information came in concerning a possible fight happening within the park grounds.
Aerial units scanned the area from the air but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Regardless, it was evident that hundreds of people had assembled at the park without permission.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies started clearing the unauthorized gathering by positioning themselves around the crowd and broadcasting over loudspeakers telling the assembled crowd here to disperse at once. Approximately 15 minutes were given for the gathering to break up.
Just as the crowd began to move that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition cut through the air. The shots triggered a stampede. Officers at once began locating gunshot victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Altogether, four individuals were discovered with shooting injuries. The victims — consisting of one woman and three men each apparently in their twenties — were taken to nearby hospitals. Medical teams confirmed that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one sustained moderate wounds, and one person's injuries were considered minor. As of last report, all four were expected to survive.
Sacramento fire crews assisted at the location and helped care for those who had been shot on location.
The Investigation
The main crime scene was confirmed to have happened near the Cottage Way side of the park near the local Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. CSI personnel discovered extra shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Projectile impacts were identified in the wrought iron perimeter fencing surrounding the Home Depot. This evidence indicated that at least one shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot store. The store itself was locked down while the scene was active. CSI investigators and detectives remained on scene well into the night.
Arrests Made
Information relayed through law enforcement radio communications established that a vehicle identified as a Kia was pulled over in the Solano County area. Four people were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Deputies were en route to collect those detained to pick up those detained for processing in Sacramento County. Footage analyzed by investigators made clear that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.