Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are examining a shooting that took place Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park in Sacramento at the moment law enforcement were dispersing an unauthorized event of a crowd of several hundred.
Prior to the Shooting
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to the Arden-Arcade park at approximately 6:30 in the evening after getting calls of individuals possibly carrying concealed weapons. Shortly after, a second call came in concerning a reported physical confrontation occurring at Howe Park.
A law enforcement helicopter conducted an aerial sweep but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Nevertheless, it was evident that a massive group had congregated at Howe Park without authorization.
The Shooting Itself
Deputies began the process of clearing the park by surrounding the park and using their vehicle PA systems ordering the assembled crowd to vacate the area. Approximately 15 minutes were allowed for the gathering to break up.
It was during this dispersal that an estimated 20 to 25 shots were discharged. Gunfire triggered a stampede. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies at once began looking for those injured.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Altogether, four victims were located with gunshot injuries. Those injured — including a female and three males each reported to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were brought to Sacramento area hospitals. Medical personnel confirmed that two victims sustained immediate injuries, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one suffered minor injuries. Fortunately, all four were expected to survive.
Sacramento Metro Fire were called to the scene and helped care for shooting victims before they were taken to the hospital.
The Investigation
The primary shooting scene seemed to have been concentrated along Cottage Way alongside the Home Depot on the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Investigators located additional spent rounds scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were identified in the iron fence Sacramento park shooting 2026 near the nearby Home Depot. These findings showed that at least one of the shooters had been aiming south from Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot. That Home Depot location was secured under a brief lockdown while law enforcement worked the area. Crime scene personnel remained on scene through the early morning hours.
Detainees in Solano County
Details gathered over scanner radio traffic showed that a Kia vehicle had been stopped in Solano County. Four detainees were detained. Deputies were traveling to Solano County to return them to Sacramento for further questioning. Surveillance footage showed that two separate shooters participated in the incident.