Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are investigating a gun violence incident that took place on April 18 2026 at Howe Park in Sacramento at the time Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were breaking up a large unauthorized gathering of a crowd of several hundred.
Prior to the Shooting
Deputies first arrived at Howe Community Park just after 6:30 Saturday evening after obtaining information of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Shortly after, a second caller reported regarding an alleged brawl unfolding at Howe Park.
A law enforcement helicopter scanned the area from the air but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. However, deputies found that hundreds of people had gathered without authorization in an unauthorized manner.
The Shooting Itself
Deputies moved to clear the area by encircling the gathering and broadcasting over loudspeakers ordering those gathered to disperse at once. About 15 minutes were allowed for the crowd to leave.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 gunshots rang out. The sudden gunfire sent the crowd running in all directions. Law enforcement wasted no time in locating gunshot victims.
Those Who Were Hit
In total, four people were identified as having gunshot wounds. The four individuals — including a female and three males each apparently in their 20s at the time of the incident — were brought to area medical facilities. Emergency physicians noted that two victims were in serious condition, one of the four had moderate gunshot wounds, and one victim's wounds were minor. Thankfully, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire provided support and helped triage those who had been shot prior to hospital transport.
Crime Scene Evidence
The primary shooting scene seemed to have been concentrated near the Cottage Way corridor alongside the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Crime scene investigators recovered additional spent rounds on Cottage Way. Projectile impacts were noted in the iron perimeter fence alongside the Home Depot store. The physical evidence indicated that a shooter had been aiming south from along Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot. That Home Depot location here was put under lockdown while the scene was active. Forensic investigators and law enforcement detectives kept processing evidence late into the evening.
Suspect Information
Details gathered through scanner monitoring showed that a Kia vehicle was intercepted in nearby Solano County. Four occupants were held for questioning. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to return them to Sacramento for processing in Sacramento County. Video reviewed at the scene made clear that the shooting involved two separate gunmen.