Sacramento County deputies are investigating a violent incident that erupted on the evening of April 18 at Howe Community Park while officers were dispersing an unsanctioned gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
Prior to the Shooting
Officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to Howe Park around 6:30 in the evening after getting calls of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Following that, another report was received describing a reported physical confrontation occurring within the park grounds.
An overhead unit scanned the area from the air but was unable to locate the reported altercation. However, it was evident that several hundred individuals had congregated at Howe Park in an unauthorized manner.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Law enforcement personnel worked to disperse the crowd by encircling the gathering and broadcasting over loudspeakers instructing the assembled crowd to vacate the area. About 15 minutes were spent for individuals to vacate.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that upwards of 20 gunshots echoed through the night. Gunfire caused mass panic. Responding personnel quickly moved to looking for those injured.
The Shooting Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four victims were confirmed as gunshot Howe Community Park shooting 2026 victims. The shooting victims — including a female and three males each reported to be in their mid to late twenties — were airlifted or driven to local Sacramento hospitals. Doctors and nurses confirmed that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one suffered minor injuries. In a positive development, all four victims survived and were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire were called to the scene and helped care for shooting victims before they were taken to the hospital.
What Investigators Found
Most of the gunfire appears to have happened on Cottage Way next to the Home Depot located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Investigators recovered more spent casings along Cottage Way. Bullet holes were noted in the wrought iron fence alongside the nearby Home Depot. This evidence suggested that a shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from along Cottage Way toward the Home Depot. The Home Depot was locked down for a period of time. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives worked tirelessly for hours.
Detainees in Solano County
Information obtained via scanner audio indicated that a vehicle identified as a Kia was intercepted in Solano County California. Four detainees were held for questioning. Law enforcement units were traveling to Solano County to return them to Sacramento for investigation. Footage analyzed by investigators made clear that there were two gunmen.