Howe Park shooting that hurt 4 may be tied to Picnic Day, Sacramento sheriff says
Authorities said a shooting Saturday night that wounded four people near an Arden Arcade park was believed to be connected to UC Davis’ annual Picnic Day, where city and university officials had increased police presence and cracked down on unsanctioned gatherings.
The shooting occurred Saturday evening as deputies worked to clear an unauthorized gathering of “several hundred” people at Howe Park. Authorities said the crowd may have been connected to Picnic Day festivities in Davis, about 20 miles west.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that the victims — a 24-year-old man, 25-year-old man, 21-year-old man and 23-year-old woman — suffered injuries not considered life-threatening and were in stable condition. Three appeared to have been shot, while one man suffered a “grazing wound,” said Sgt. Ed. Igoe, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said a vehicle of interest seen leaving Howe Park was located in Fairfield, where Solano County sheriff’s deputies detained two women and one man. A firearm was found inside the vehicle, according to Igoe.
“This is still an active investigation,” Igoe said in a statement. “And these subjects’ level of involvement is unknown at this time.”
Deputies were first called around 6:30 p.m. to the park along Cottage Way between Howe Avenue and Bell Street after reports of possible weapons and a fight. After determining from Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District officials that the gathering was “unauthorized,” deputies began dispersing the crowd using patrol vehicles, sirens and loudspeaker announcements.
As the park cleared, deputies heard 20 to 25 gunshots coming from the direction of a nearby Home Depot parking lot at Howe Avenue and Cottage Way. Authorities located four victims with apparent gunshot wounds as the crowd fled gunfire.
The shooting followed heightened enforcement efforts in Davis during this year’s Picnic Day, the university’s annual spring celebration that draws tens of thousands of visitors.
Last year’s event was marred by gunfire at a park that wounded three people during a large, unsanctioned concert. In response, Davis officials banned permitted off-campus events, established “safety enhancement zones” and increased police staffing, with officers from multiple regional agencies assisting enforcement efforts.
Authorities said those measures were aimed at preventing large, unregulated crowds in Davis, though gatherings tied to the event appeared to spread into surrounding areas — including Sacramento County, where the Howe Park crowd drew several hundred people.
Sacramento deputies said the investigation remains ongoing.
