Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are investigating a gunfire incident that occurred late Saturday at Howe Park while deputies were dispersing a large unsanctioned party of a crowd of several hundred.
Background
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies initially responded to the park at approximately half past six in the evening after getting calls of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. After that, a second caller reported regarding a reported physical confrontation occurring within the park grounds.
A sheriff's airship flew over the park but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Regardless, authorities discovered that several hundred individuals had come together at the location without official sanction.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Deputies worked to disperse the crowd by encircling the gathering and making announcements telling the crowd to vacate the area. Approximately 15 minutes were allowed for the crowd to leave.
As the crowd was being cleared that between 20 and 25 rounds echoed through the night. Gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies immediately began searching for victims.
The Shooting Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. The four individuals — made up of one woman and three men all reportedly in their mid to late twenties — were transported to area medical facilities. Medical personnel indicated that two were treated for serious injuries, one sustained moderate wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. As of last report, each of the four victims was stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department assisted at the location and helped triage those with gunshot wounds before they were taken to the hospital.
Evidence at the Scene
The main crime scene was determined to have been concentrated along Cottage Way near the Home Depot store on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. CSI personnel discovered extra shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Ballistic damage were noted in the wrought iron fence bordering the Home Depot store. This evidence pointed to that a shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way aimed at the Home Depot store. The store itself was temporarily locked down as a precaution. Crime scene personnel kept processing evidence for hours.
Detainees in Solano County
Details gathered through law enforcement radio communications confirmed that a Kia connected to the shooting had been stopped in the Solano County area. Four suspects were held for questioning. Sacramento County website Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Solano County to collect the individuals for questioning. Video that was reviewed made clear that two shooters had been involved.