Sacramento County deputies are investigating a gun violence incident that occurred on April 18 2026 at Howe Community Park in the Arden-Arcade area just as law enforcement were dispersing a large unauthorized gathering of multiple hundreds of people.
Prior to the Shooting
Law enforcement were first called to the more info park on Howe Avenue around 6:30 in the evening after obtaining information of individuals who may have had concealed firearms. Not long after, another report was received regarding a possible physical fight happening within the park grounds.
A law enforcement helicopter scanned the area from the air but reported no active disturbance. Despite this, deputies found that hundreds of people had come together at the location without official sanction.
The Shooting Itself
Officers set about removing people from the park by encircling the gathering and announcing over their public address systems ordering attendees to vacate the area. Nearly 15 minutes were allowed for individuals to vacate.
It was during this dispersal that an estimated 20 to 25 shots were discharged. The rapid succession of shots caused mass panic. Deputies swiftly started identifying shooting victims.
The Shooting Victims
By the time the scene was secured, four victims were discovered with shooting injuries. The shooting victims — consisting of one woman and three men each apparently in their mid to late twenties — were transported to local Sacramento hospitals. Doctors and nurses indicated that two had critical injury classifications, one had moderate injuries, and one person's injuries were considered minor. Thankfully, all four were in stable condition.
Sacramento fire crews arrived on scene and assisted with medical triage those with gunshot wounds at the park.
Evidence at the Scene
Most of the gunfire was confirmed to have unfolded on the Cottage Way side of the park alongside the local Home Depot on the 2200 Howe Avenue block. Detectives located more spent casings on Cottage Way. Projectile impacts were also found in the iron fence surrounding the Home Depot. These findings indicated that one of the gunmen had been firing southward from the Cottage Way area toward the Home Depot store. The Home Depot was placed on lockdown for a period of time. Crime scene personnel remained on scene late into the evening.
Suspect Vehicle Located
Information relayed over scanner radio traffic established that a Kia had been detained in the Solano County area. Four occupants were stopped and detained. Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Solano County to pick up those detained for investigation. Video that was reviewed established that there were two gunmen.