Officials in Sacramento County are examining a gunfire incident that unfolded Saturday evening at Howe Community Park at the moment authorities were shutting down an unsanctioned gathering of hundreds of attendees.
How It Started
Sacramento County law enforcement first arrived at Howe Community Park at about 6:30 PM after receiving reports of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Soon after, a second caller reported describing an alleged brawl breaking out near the park.
An overhead unit scanned the area from the air but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Regardless, deputies found that a crowd of several hundred had gathered without authorization without permission.
When the Shots Rang Out
Deputies set about removing people from the park by setting up around the park's perimeter and broadcasting over loudspeakers instructing the crowd to clear out. Around 15 minutes were allowed for the gathering to break up.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that 20 to 25 gunshots cut through the air. The shots triggered a stampede. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies swiftly started locating gunshot victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Altogether, four shooting victims were located with gunshot injuries. The victims — consisting of one woman and three men all believed to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were brought to local Sacramento hospitals. Hospital staff reported that two had critical injury classifications, one had moderate injuries, and one had injuries classified as minor. According to authorities, no fatalities were reported and Home Depot Sacramento shooting all four were stable.
Sacramento fire crews also responded and aided in treating those with gunshot wounds on location.
Evidence at the Scene
The bulk of the shooting seemed to have unfolded adjacent to Cottage Way close to the Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Detectives identified additional spent rounds on the Cottage Way roadway. Projectile impacts were noted in the iron fence adjacent to the nearby Home Depot. This ballistic evidence suggested that a second shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area in the direction of the Home Depot. The nearby Home Depot was placed on lockdown for a period of time. CSI investigators and detectives remained on scene throughout the night.
Suspects Detained
Information relayed via scanner audio confirmed that a Kia vehicle had been stopped in Solano County. Four individuals were stopped and detained. Deputies were traveling to Solano County to pick up those detained for further questioning. Video evidence confirmed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.