Sacramento authorities are working a gun violence incident that broke out on April 18 2026 at Howe Park as Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were clearing an unauthorized event of several hundred people.
Background
Sacramento County law enforcement were first called to the Arden-Arcade park just after 6:30 in the evening after obtaining information of people potentially armed with concealed firearms. Not long after, a second caller reported concerning a reported physical confrontation unfolding at Howe Park.
An overhead unit conducted an aerial sweep but came back with no confirmation of a fight. Despite this, authorities discovered that several hundred individuals had gathered without authorization without official sanction.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Officers set about removing people from the park by setting up around the park's perimeter and broadcasting over loudspeakers commanding those gathered to clear out. Approximately 15 minutes were provided for the gathering to break up.
It was during this dispersal that an estimated 20 to 25 shots echoed through the night. The sudden gunfire sent hundreds fleeing. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies wasted no time in identifying shooting victims.
The Shooting Victims
In total, four shooting victims were discovered with shooting injuries. The four individuals — consisting of one woman and three men all believed to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were airlifted or driven to Sacramento area hospitals. Hospital staff reported that two of the four had injuries classified as immediate, one had moderate injuries, and one person's injuries were considered minor. As of last report, all four were in stable condition.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department provided support and provided medical assistance the injured prior to hospital transport.
The Investigation
The bulk of the shooting seemed to have unfolded on the Cottage Way corridor next to the local Home Depot on the 2200 block of Howe Ave. Crime scene investigators recovered more spent casings scattered along Cottage Way. Ballistic damage were noted in the wrought iron perimeter fencing bordering the nearby Home Depot. The physical evidence pointed to that at least one of the shooters had been discharging rounds toward the south from Cottage Way targeting the Home Depot store. The store itself was temporarily locked down while law enforcement worked the area. CSI investigators and detectives kept processing evidence through the early morning hours.
Suspect Information
Information relayed through scanner monitoring read more showed that a Kia was contacted by law enforcement in an area within Solano County. Four suspects were held for questioning. Deputies were dispatched to Solano County to collect the individuals for questioning. Video that was reviewed made clear that two individuals had fired weapons.