Sacramento County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a gun violence incident that occurred on April 18 2026 at Howe Park while deputies were dissolving a large unauthorized gathering of several hundred people.
How It Started
Deputies initially got calls about the park on Howe Avenue shortly before 6:30 Saturday evening after receiving reports of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Soon after, a second caller reported about a reported physical confrontation taking place within the park grounds.
An overhead unit flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. Despite this, it was evident that a massive group had congregated at Howe Park without permission.
The Dispersal and Shooting
Law enforcement personnel moved to clear the area by forming a perimeter and issuing commands over loudspeakers ordering attendees to leave immediately. Around 15 minutes were provided for attendees to disperse.
While deputies worked to disperse the gathering that upwards of 20 gunshots were discharged. The barrage of gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Responding personnel immediately began looking for those injured.
The Shooting Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four people were discovered with shooting injuries. All four — a group of one female and three male victims all reportedly in their 20s at the time of the incident — were airlifted or driven to nearby hospitals. Doctors and nurses stated that two had critical injury classifications, one victim's injuries were classified as moderate, and one suffered minor injuries. In a positive development, each of the four victims was stable.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were called to the scene and helped triage those with gunshot wounds at the park.
Evidence at the Scene
The primary shooting scene was determined to have occurred near Cottage Way alongside the Home Cottage Way shooting Sacramento Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Law enforcement investigators discovered additional spent rounds along Cottage Way. Bullet damage were also found in the wrought iron fence adjacent to the Home Depot store. This ballistic evidence suggested that at least one shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from the Cottage Way area in the direction of the Home Depot building and parking lot. That Home Depot location was placed on lockdown for a period of time. Crime scene personnel stayed at the location well into the night.
Suspects Detained
Details gathered over police scanner frequencies indicated that a vehicle identified as a Kia was contacted by law enforcement in Solano County. Four suspects were taken into custody. Law enforcement units were heading to pick up the four detainees to collect the individuals for investigation. Video that was reviewed established that two shooters had been involved.