Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a gun violence incident that occurred on the evening of April 18 at the Howe Community Park area while Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were shutting down an unsanctioned gathering of several hundred people.

How It Started

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were first dispatched to Howe Park at approximately 6:30 PM after receiving reports of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Not long after, a second call came in describing an alleged brawl happening near the park.

An overhead unit flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. However, it became clear that several hundred individuals had congregated at Howe Park without any permit or approval.

How the Shooting Unfolded

Responding units worked to disperse the crowd by forming a perimeter and making announcements directing those gathered to clear out. About 15 minutes were allotted for the gathering to break up.

Just as the crowd began to move that upwards of 20 gunshots rang out. The barrage of gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies quickly moved to locating gunshot victims.

Four People Shot

In total, four gunshot victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. The four individuals — a group of one female and Howe Park Sacramento gunfire three male victims each apparently in their 20s at the time of the incident — were transported to area medical facilities. Hospital staff indicated that two had critical injury classifications, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one victim's wounds were minor. As of last report, all four were expected to survive.

Sacramento fire crews arrived on scene and provided medical assistance the injured on location.

Evidence at the Scene

The main crime scene seemed to have unfolded along the Cottage Way corridor next to the Home Depot located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. CSI personnel identified further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings on Cottage Way. Round impacts were identified in the wrought iron fence near the Home Depot. This evidence pointed to that at least one shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot. The nearby Home Depot was locked down while the scene was active. CSI units alongside detectives kept processing evidence throughout the night.

Suspect Information

Reports confirmed over scanner radio traffic revealed that a Kia was pulled over in the Solano County area. Four occupants were stopped and detained. Deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to pick up those detained for investigation. Video evidence made clear that two separate shooters participated in the incident.