Sacramento County deputies are probing a gunfire incident that unfolded late Saturday at Howe Park in Sacramento at the moment law enforcement were clearing a large unauthorized gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
Background
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially got calls about the park at about half past six in the evening after learning of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Following that, a second call came in regarding an alleged brawl taking place at the location.
An overhead unit searched from above but came back with no confirmation of a fight. However, authorities discovered that a crowd of several hundred had come together at the location without permission.
How the Shooting Unfolded
Officers started clearing the unauthorized gathering by setting up around the park's perimeter and broadcasting over loudspeakers ordering the crowd to disperse at once. Approximately 15 minutes were given for people to comply.
As the crowd was being cleared that upwards of 20 website gunshots were discharged. The sudden gunfire caused mass panic. Deputies immediately began searching for victims.
Four Gunshot Victims
Ultimately, four victims were discovered with shooting injuries. The victims — comprising three men and one woman each reported to be in their early to late twenties — were taken to area medical facilities. Emergency physicians stated that two had critical injury classifications, one sustained moderate wounds, and one had injuries classified as minor. In a positive development, each of the four victims was stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were called to the scene and helped triage shooting victims prior to hospital transport.
Evidence at the Scene
The primary shooting scene was determined to have unfolded along the Cottage Way side of the park next to the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Detectives discovered additional shell casings along Cottage Way. Round impacts were also found in the iron fence near the Home Depot. These findings suggested that at least one of the shooters had been sending rounds south from along Cottage Way toward the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was locked down for a period of time. CSI units alongside detectives kept processing evidence through the early morning hours.
Suspects Detained
Details gathered through scanner monitoring showed that a Kia was pulled over in the Solano County area. Four people were taken into custody. Sacramento law enforcement were traveling to Solano County to bring the suspects back for formal questioning. Video reviewed at the scene revealed that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.