Sacramento County deputies are working a shooting that broke out late Saturday at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area at the time authorities were breaking up a large unsanctioned party of several hundred people.
What Led to the Shooting
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office initially got calls about the Arden-Arcade park around 6:30 in the evening after learning of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Following that, additional information came in regarding a possible physical fight occurring within the park grounds.
A sheriff's airship scanned the area from the air but could not confirm any ongoing fight. However, it became clear that hundreds of people had congregated at Howe Park without permission.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Deputies set about removing people from the park by surrounding the park and broadcasting over loudspeakers commanding the assembled crowd to vacate the area. Around 15 minutes were provided for individuals to vacate.
Just as the crowd began to move that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition echoed through the night. The sudden gunfire caused mass panic. Responding personnel quickly moved to finding those who had been shot.
The Shooting Victims
Altogether, four shooting victims were found to have been shot. Those injured — made up of one woman and three men each reported to be in their 20s — were transported to hospitals in the Sacramento area. Medical teams indicated that two had critical injury classifications, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one suffered minor injuries. Thankfully, all four were in stable condition.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District provided support and provided medical assistance the injured at the scene.
The Investigation
Most of the gunfire seemed to have happened along the Cottage Way corridor adjacent to the Home Depot store located at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Crime scene investigators discovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet damage were identified in the iron fence bordering the Home Depot. These findings pointed to that at least one click here shooter had been aiming south from the Cottage Way area toward the Home Depot. The store itself was temporarily locked down for a period of time. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives worked tirelessly late into the evening.
Suspect Information
Information obtained over police scanner frequencies established that a Kia connected to the shooting was contacted by law enforcement in the Solano County area. Four suspects were stopped and detained. Sacramento law enforcement were dispatched to Solano County to transport the detainees for questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators made clear that there were two gunmen.