Officials in Sacramento County are examining a shooting that broke out on the evening of April 18 at Howe Community Park in the click here Arden-Arcade area just as authorities were clearing a large unauthorized gathering of hundreds of attendees.
Before the Gunfire
Law enforcement initially got calls about the Arden-Arcade park at approximately 6:30 in the evening after getting calls of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. After that, a second caller reported concerning a potential altercation occurring inside the park.
Aerial units conducted an aerial sweep but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Nevertheless, it was apparent that several hundred individuals had assembled at the park in an unauthorized manner.
The Shooting Itself
Responding units started clearing the unauthorized gathering by forming a perimeter and making announcements telling those gathered to vacate the area. Around 15 minutes were allotted for people to comply.
Just as the crowd began to move that between 20 and 25 rounds echoed through the night. The sudden gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Law enforcement quickly moved to searching for victims.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Ultimately, four shooting victims were found to have been shot. The victims — a group of one female and three male victims ranging in age through their in their twenties — were transported to local Sacramento hospitals. Doctors and nurses indicated that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one had injuries classified as minor. As of last report, each of the four victims was stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were called to the scene and assisted with medical triage the four victims before they were taken to the hospital.
The Investigation
The primary shooting scene appears to have occurred on the Cottage Way corridor adjacent to the Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Detectives discovered further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet damage were identified in the iron fence surrounding the Home Depot store. These findings showed that a second shooter had been firing southward from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot store. That Home Depot location was put under lockdown as a precaution. CSI investigators and detectives kept processing evidence throughout the night.
Arrests Made
Information relayed via scanner audio showed that a vehicle identified as a Kia had been stopped in nearby Solano County. Four suspects were stopped and detained. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were en route to collect those detained to return them to Sacramento for questioning. Surveillance footage confirmed that two shooters had been involved.