Officials in Sacramento County are looking into a shooting incident that occurred on April 18 2026 at the Howe Community Park area while officers were breaking up a large unsanctioned party of a crowd of several hundred.
Prior to the Shooting
Law enforcement initially responded to the park on Howe Avenue around 6:30 Saturday evening after being notified of persons possibly in possession of concealed weapons. Soon after, a follow-up call was made describing a potential altercation occurring within the park grounds.
A law enforcement helicopter flew over the park but reported no active disturbance. Even so, authorities discovered that several hundred individuals had gathered without authorization without any permit or approval.
The Moment Gunfire Erupted
Responding units worked to disperse the crowd by surrounding the park and broadcasting over loudspeakers instructing the hundreds present to disperse at once. About 15 minutes were provided for attendees to disperse.
At the height of the dispersal effort that between 20 and 25 rounds were discharged. The barrage of gunfire caused mass panic. Deputies wasted no time in looking for those injured.
Four Victims Hospitalized
In total, four individuals were located with gunshot injuries. Those injured — including a female and three males each reported to be in their 20s at the time of the incident — were taken to Sacramento area hospitals. Hospital staff stated that two were treated for serious injuries, one had moderate injuries, and one victim's wounds were minor. Thankfully, all four were expected to survive.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District assisted at the location and assisted with medical triage the injured at the scene.
What Investigators Found
The bulk of the shooting seemed to have happened along the Cottage Way side of the park adjacent to the local Home Depot situated at the 2200 block of Howe Avenue. CSI personnel identified additional shell casings on the Cottage Way roadway. Bullet damage were discovered in the iron fence surrounding the Home Depot. These discoveries pointed to that at least one shooter had been discharging rounds toward the south from Cottage Way in the direction of the Home Depot building and parking lot. The store itself was locked down for a period of time. Crime scene technicians and detectives kept processing evidence well into the night.
Suspect Information
Information obtained through scanner monitoring showed that a Kia vehicle had been detained in Solano County California. Four individuals were taken into custody. Law enforcement units were sent to retrieve the detainees to collect the individuals for questioning. Sacramento park shooting 2026 Footage analyzed by investigators made clear that two shooters had been involved.