Sacramento County deputies are probing a violent incident that took place on April 18 2026 at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area at the time law enforcement were shutting down a large unsanctioned party of a crowd of several hundred.
How It Started
Law enforcement were first called to the park around 6:30 in the evening after learning of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Not long after, a second call came in concerning a potential altercation breaking out within the park grounds.
An overhead unit was sent to survey the area but found nothing to substantiate the fight report. Even so, deputies found that several hundred individuals had packed into the park without any permit or approval.
When the Shots Rang Out
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies worked to disperse the crowd by surrounding the park and announcing over their public address systems instructing those gathered to go home. Approximately 15 minutes were given for the crowd to leave.
At the height of the dispersal effort that 20 to 25 gunshots echoed through the night. The barrage here of gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Officers quickly moved to identifying shooting victims.
Four People Shot
By the time the scene was secured, four shooting victims were confirmed as gunshot victims. Those injured — a group of one female and three male victims each apparently in their twenties — were brought to local Sacramento hospitals. Hospital staff stated that two had critical injury classifications, one sustained moderate wounds, and one person's injuries were considered minor. According to authorities, each of the four victims was stable.
Sacramento fire crews arrived on scene and helped care for those with gunshot wounds at the scene.
What Investigators Found
The bulk of the shooting was believed to have happened near Cottage Way adjacent to the Home Depot store situated at the 2200 Howe Avenue block. CSI personnel identified more spent casings throughout the Cottage Way area. Bullet damage were also found in the wrought iron fence near the nearby Home Depot. These findings suggested that a second shooter had been shooting in a southerly direction from Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot building and parking lot. The nearby Home Depot was placed on lockdown while the scene was active. Crime scene personnel continued working throughout the night.
Arrests Made
Intelligence received through scanner monitoring established that a suspect Kia was intercepted in Solano County. Four occupants were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were sent to retrieve the detainees to transport the detainees for processing in Sacramento County. Footage analyzed by investigators established that there were two gunmen.