Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are probing a gun violence incident that unfolded on the evening of April 18 at the Howe Community Park area as law enforcement were clearing an unsanctioned gathering of a crowd of several hundred.
Before the Gunfire
Sacramento County law enforcement were first called to Howe Park at about 6:30 Saturday evening after getting calls of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Shortly after, a second call came in regarding a potential altercation unfolding within the park grounds.
Air support searched from above but could not confirm any ongoing fight. Regardless, it was apparent that a crowd of several hundred had assembled at the park without any permit or approval.
The Shooting Itself
Deputies began the process of clearing the park by positioning themselves around the crowd and issuing commands over loudspeakers directing attendees to vacate the area. Around 15 minutes were provided for the gathering to break up.
At the height of the dispersal effort that an estimated 20 to 25 shots were discharged. The rapid succession of shots caused mass panic. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies at once began finding those who had been shot.
Four Victims Hospitalized
Altogether, four victims were discovered with shooting injuries. The shooting victims — a group of one female and three male victims each reported to be in their 20s — were airlifted or driven to Sacramento area hospitals. Hospital staff stated that two had critical injury classifications, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one suffered minor injuries. According to authorities, all four were in stable condition.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department arrived on scene and helped triage those who had been shot prior to hospital transport.
What Investigators Found
The center of the incident was believed to have happened adjacent Arden Arcade shooting April 2026 to the Cottage Way corridor near the Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. Detectives recovered additional shell casings along Cottage Way. Bullet damage were also found in the metal fencing near the Home Depot store. This ballistic evidence pointed to that at least one of the shooters had been firing southward from Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot store. The nearby Home Depot was locked down while the scene was active. CSI investigators and detectives remained on scene well into the night.
Suspects Detained
Details gathered via scanner audio indicated that a vehicle identified as a Kia was pulled over in an area within Solano County. Four occupants were taken into custody. Deputies were traveling to Solano County to collect the individuals for formal questioning. Footage analyzed by investigators confirmed that two individuals had fired weapons.