Chaos at Howe Community Park Sends Multiple Gunshot Victims in the Arden-Arcade Area of Sacramento

Law enforcement in Sacramento are probing a shooting that unfolded late Saturday at Howe Park in Sacramento while authorities were dispersing an unlawful assembly of a crowd of several hundred.

Background

Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially got calls about Howe Community Park at about 6:30 in the evening after receiving reports of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Shortly after, a second call came in concerning a possible physical fight breaking out near the park.

A sheriff's airship flew over the park but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Nevertheless, it was evident that an enormous crowd had come together at the location without official sanction.

How the Shooting Unfolded

Officers moved to clear the area by encircling the gathering and announcing over their public address systems telling those gathered to leave immediately. Nearly 15 minutes were spent for the crowd to leave.

At the height of the dispersal effort that between 20 and 25 rounds echoed through the night. The shots triggered a stampede. Officers at once began identifying shooting victims.

The Shooting Victims

When the dust settled, four shooting victims were located with gunshot injuries. The victims — a group of one female and three male victims ranging in age through their in their 20s — were transported to area medical facilities. Medical teams confirmed that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one person's injuries were considered minor. As of last report, all four victims survived and were stable.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department assisted at the location and helped care for the injured at the scene.

The Investigation

The bulk of the shooting appears to have happened near the Cottage Way side of the park near read more the Home Depot store located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. CSI personnel recovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet damage were discovered in the iron fence near the nearby Home Depot. These findings showed that one of the gunmen had been shooting in a southerly direction from the Cottage Way area targeting the Home Depot. The store itself was put under lockdown while the scene was active. Crime scene technicians and detectives remained on scene late into the evening.

Arrests Made

Details gathered through law enforcement radio communications established that a suspect Kia was contacted by law enforcement in an area within Solano County. Four detainees were stopped and detained. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were heading to pick up the four detainees to return them to Sacramento for processing in Sacramento County. Footage analyzed by investigators established that there were two gunmen.