Officials in Sacramento County are looking into a gunfire incident that unfolded Saturday night April 18 at Howe Park as Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were breaking up a large unsanctioned party of multiple hundreds of people.
How It Started
Deputies were first dispatched to the park on Howe Avenue around 6:30 in the evening after learning of subjects reportedly carrying hidden weapons. Following that, a second call came in regarding a reported physical confrontation unfolding at Howe Park.
Air support conducted an aerial sweep but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Despite this, it was evident that a crowd of several hundred had packed into the park in an unauthorized manner.
When the Shots Rang Out
Responding units worked to disperse the crowd by encircling the gathering and issuing commands over loudspeakers directing the hundreds present to clear out. About 15 minutes were provided for attendees to disperse.
As the crowd was being cleared that 20 to 25 gunshots were discharged. The rapid succession of shots sent hundreds fleeing. Officers immediately began identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
By the time the scene was secured, four victims were identified as having gunshot wounds. All four — including a female and three males each reported to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were transported to Sacramento area hospitals. Doctors and nurses reported that two had critical injury classifications, one person had injuries of a moderate nature, and one suffered minor injuries. As of last Howe Community Park shooting 2026 report, no fatalities were reported and all four were stable.
Sacramento Metro Fire assisted at the location and assisted with medical triage those who had been shot before they were taken to the hospital.
Physical Evidence
The main crime scene was confirmed to have taken place near Cottage Way alongside the Home Depot store located at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Law enforcement investigators identified further ballistic evidence in the form of shell casings along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were observed in the iron fence adjacent to the nearby Home Depot. This evidence pointed to that one of the gunmen had been sending rounds south from the Cottage Way area aimed at the Home Depot store. The store itself was put under lockdown for a period of time. Crime scene technicians and detectives continued working well into the night.
Arrests Made
Details gathered via scanner audio revealed that a suspect Kia had been detained in Solano County California. Four people were stopped and detained. Deputies were heading to pick up the four detainees to return them to Sacramento for investigation. Video evidence established that there were two gunmen.