Sacramento authorities are working a violent incident that broke out late Saturday at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area at the time officers were dispersing a large unauthorized gathering website of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Before the Gunfire
Deputies initially got calls about the Arden-Arcade park at about half past six in the evening after obtaining information of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Soon after, a second call came in describing a reported physical confrontation happening at the location.
Air support searched from above but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Nevertheless, deputies found that a crowd of several hundred had assembled at the park in an unauthorized manner.
When the Shots Rang Out
Responding units began the process of clearing the park by forming a perimeter and announcing over their public address systems commanding the crowd to clear out. Around 15 minutes were spent for the crowd to leave.
As the crowd was being cleared that between 20 and 25 rounds were fired. Gunfire sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies immediately began identifying shooting victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
When the dust settled, four people were confirmed as gunshot victims. The four individuals — comprising three men and one woman ranging in age through their in their mid to late twenties — were transported to Sacramento area hospitals. Medical personnel noted that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one had injuries classified as minor. Fortunately, all four were expected to survive.
Metro Fire Sacramento arrived on scene and helped triage the injured prior to hospital transport.
Evidence at the Scene
The bulk of the shooting was determined to have taken place along the Cottage Way corridor near the Home Depot at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators identified further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings on Cottage Way. Bullet damage were noted in the iron fence adjacent to the nearby Home Depot. The physical evidence suggested that at least one of the shooters had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot store. The store itself was secured under a brief lockdown while law enforcement worked the area. CSI units alongside detectives worked tirelessly late into the evening.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information relayed through law enforcement radio communications revealed that a Kia connected to the shooting had been detained in an area within Solano County. Four detainees were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Law enforcement units were heading to pick up the four detainees to pick up those detained for processing in Sacramento County. Footage analyzed by investigators revealed that two individuals had fired weapons.