Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a gun violence incident that unfolded Saturday evening at the Howe Community Park area while Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were shutting down an unauthorized event of multiple hundreds of people.
How It Started
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were first dispatched to the Arden-Arcade park around half past six in the evening after receiving reports of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Following that, a second call came in regarding an alleged brawl happening within the park grounds.
A law enforcement helicopter conducted an aerial sweep but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Regardless, authorities discovered that a massive group had assembled at the park in an unauthorized manner.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Responding units began the process of clearing the park by positioning themselves around the crowd and issuing commands over loudspeakers instructing attendees to disperse at once. Around 15 minutes were given for the crowd to leave.
Just as the crowd began to move that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition rang out. The sudden gunfire triggered a stampede. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies swiftly started finding those who had been shot.
Four People Shot
In total, four gunshot victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. The victims — consisting of one woman and three men each reported to be in their 20s here — were airlifted or driven to area medical facilities. Medical teams noted that two victims were in serious condition, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. In a positive development, all four were expected to survive.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District also responded and aided in treating the injured on location.
The Investigation
The main crime scene seemed to have taken place on the Cottage Way side of the park adjacent to the Home Depot at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Detectives discovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings on Cottage Way. Projectile impacts were discovered in the iron perimeter fence adjacent to the nearby Home Depot. These discoveries suggested that a shooter had been shooting in a southerly direction from along Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot store. The nearby Home Depot was locked down while law enforcement worked the area. Crime scene personnel continued working throughout the night.
Suspect Information
Details gathered through scanner monitoring confirmed that a Kia vehicle had been stopped in the Solano County area. Four detainees were held for questioning. Sheriff's units were sent to retrieve the detainees to bring the suspects back for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators established that two shooters had been involved.