Howe Park Shooting Sends Four People Injured in Sacramento's Arden-Arcade

Officials in Sacramento County are working a gun violence incident that took place on the evening of April 18 at the Howe Community Park area just as Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were shutting down a large unsanctioned party of several hundred people.

Before the Gunfire

Law enforcement initially got calls about the Arden-Arcade park shortly before 6:30 in the evening after learning of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Following that, additional information came in mentioning a reported physical confrontation happening at Howe Park.

A law enforcement helicopter flew over the park but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Nevertheless, authorities discovered that a massive group had assembled at the park without authorization.

The Shooting Itself

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies set about removing people from the park by positioning themselves around the crowd and making announcements instructing the crowd to vacate the area. About 15 minutes were given for individuals to vacate.

At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 rounds of ammunition cut through the air. Gunfire triggered a stampede. Law enforcement swiftly started identifying shooting victims.

The Shooting Victims

In total, four individuals were found to have been shot. The shooting victims — comprising three men and one woman all reportedly in their twenties — were transported to nearby hospitals. Hospital staff noted that two were treated for serious injuries, one sustained moderate wounds, and one victim's wounds were minor. According to authorities, all four victims survived and were stable.

Metro Fire Sacramento also responded and helped care for shooting victims before they were taken to the hospital.

Evidence at the Scene

The center of the incident was believed to have happened on the Cottage Way side of the park alongside the Home Depot store on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Investigators found extra shell casings scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were observed in the metal fencing alongside the Home Depot. This evidence confirmed that at least one shooter had been shooting in a southerly direction from Cottage Way toward the Home Depot store. The nearby Home Depot was placed on lockdown for a period of time. CSI units alongside detectives continued working for hours.

Suspect Information

Reports confirmed unauthorized gathering shooting Sacramento through law enforcement radio communications revealed that a Kia connected to the shooting was intercepted in the Solano County area. Four people were taken into custody. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were en route to collect those detained to transport the detainees for formal questioning. Surveillance footage established that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.