Officials in Sacramento County are probing a shooting incident that occurred late Saturday at Howe Park in Sacramento while officers were breaking up an unlawful assembly of an estimated several hundred individuals.
Prior to the Shooting
Law enforcement first arrived at Howe Community Park at approximately half past six in the evening after being notified of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Following that, additional information came in describing an alleged brawl taking place at Howe Park.
Aerial units searched from above but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Regardless, it was apparent that a crowd of several hundred had gathered without authorization without authorization.
The Shooting Itself
Officers moved to clear the area by encircling the gathering and issuing commands over loudspeakers ordering the hundreds present to clear out. About 15 minutes were allowed for the crowd to leave.
It was during this dispersal that between 20 and 25 rounds echoed through the night. The shots sparked chaos as hundreds ran. Law enforcement immediately began finding those who had been shot.
Four Gunshot Victims
Altogether, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. All four — made up of one woman and three men each reported to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were rushed to local Sacramento hospitals. Doctors and nurses reported that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one suffered minor injuries. According to authorities, all four were in stable condition.
Metro Fire Sacramento arrived on scene and aided in treating shooting victims before they were taken to the hospital.
Evidence at the Scene
The center of the incident appears to have unfolded on Cottage Way next to the Home Depot situated at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. CSI personnel found additional spent rounds on Cottage Way. Bullet holes were also found in the wrought iron perimeter fencing bordering the Home Depot. This evidence indicated that at least one of the shooters had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot building and parking lot. That Home Depot location was temporarily locked down for a period of time. Crime scene technicians and detectives continued working throughout the night.
Arrests Made
Details gathered over police scanner frequencies showed check here that a Kia was pulled over in the Solano County area. Four individuals were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Deputies were dispatched to Solano County to bring the suspects back for processing in Sacramento County. Footage analyzed by investigators showed that there were two gunmen.