Gathering at Sacramento-area park during unauthorized “Picnic Day” event leaves four people shot
MARICELA DE LA CRUZ. KCRA. THREE NEWS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE’RE LEARNING NEW DETAILS ABOUT A SHOOTING IN SACRAMENTO SOUTH PARK SATURDAY NIGHT. THE EVENT, MARKETED AS A PICNIC DAY PARTY THE SAME DAY AS THE ANNUAL UC DAVIS PICNIC DAY. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THIS WAS AN UNAUTHORIZED GATHERING AT THE PARK, WITH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. KCRA 3’S CECIL HANNIBAL JOINS US LIVE RIGHT NOW FROM THAT PARK. SO, CECIL, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT WHO ORGANIZED THIS AND HOW THIS HAPPENED? WELL, WHO ORGANIZED IT IS STILL UNCLEAR, BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THERE WAS A VEHICLE OF INTEREST FOUND IN SOLANO COUNTY AFTER THE SHOOTING. THEY THE THREE PEOPLE IN THAT CAR WERE DETAINED AND QUESTIONED. A FIREARM WAS FOUND IN THAT VEHICLE. BUT THOSE PEOPLE HAVE NOT BEEN ARRESTED OR CHARGED WITH ANYTHING RELATED TO THE SHOOTING AT THIS POINT. SO RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE STILL SEARCHING FOR SUSPECTS IN THIS SITUATION OF A LARGE UNAUTHORIZED GATHERING HERE AT HOWELL PARK THAT ENDED WITH FOUR PEOPLE BEING SHOT. AND IN FACT, IT WAS CAPTURED IN CELL PHONE VIDEO. I WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS VIDEO THAT SHOWS THE MOMENTS OF CHAOS WHERE PEOPLE WERE RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES HERE AT HOWELL PARK IN SACRAMENTO. SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ACTUALLY GOT REPORTS OF THAT LARGE GATHERING HERE AT THE PARK. AFTER CONTACTING PARK OFFICIALS, THEY LEARNED THAT THIS WAS NOT A PERMANENT EVENT. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SENT DEPUTIES TO BREAK UP THE GATHERING, AND WHEN THEY THEN GOT REPORTS OF A FIGHT THAT BROKE OUT AND DEPUTIES WERE ACTUALLY HERE. WHEN THEY HEARD AT LEAST 20 SHOTS WERE FIRED, INVESTIGATORS SAY WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THIS WAS MARKETED AS A UC DAVIS PICNIC DAY EVENT, SIMILAR TO THE EVENT HELD AT A PARK IN DAVIS LAST YEAR THAT ALSO ENDED IN GUNFIRE AND PEOPLE RUNNING IN PANIC. SO ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THERE, THEY BELIEVE THEY WERE AT SOME TYPE OF UC DAVIS PICNIC DAY. SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ADVERTISED IT AS SUCH. AND SO THAT’S REALLY THE ONLY LINK THERE. IT WOULD APPEAR THE SUSPECTS, WHOMEVER HOWEVER MANY WERE INVOLVED, OBVIOUSLY FIRED, IMMEDIATELY FLED KNOWING THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS RIGHT THERE. HAD WE NOT BEEN IN PLACE AT THE TIME OF THIS, I THINK IT ABSOLUTELY COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE. NOW, OF COURSE, THIS EVENT HAD NO AFFILIATION WITH UC DAVIS OR PICNIC DAY. NOW, INVESTIGATORS TODAY ARE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP. THEY’RE URGING ANYONE WHO WAS HERE WHO HAS ANY INFORMATION OR HAS VIDEOS LIKE THE CELL PHONE VIDEO YOU SAW TO PLEASE CONTACT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY’RE STILL SEARCHING FOR SUSPECTS. AS OF TODAY, LIVE IN SACRAMENTO. CECIL HANNIBAL KCRA THREE NEWS. SO, CECIL, WE KNOW THERE WERE SEVERAL VICTIMS. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT THEM SO FAR? WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE FOUR VICTIMS ARE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. WE DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE, BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW, AGAIN, IT’S FOUR PEOPLE, THREE MEN AND ONE WOMAN, RANGING IN AGES OF 21 TO
Gathering at Sacramento-area park during unauthorized “Picnic Day” event leaves four people shot
Updated: 6:39 PM PDT Apr 20, 2026
Gunfire broke out Saturday night at Howe Park in Sacramento County during an unauthorized gathering promoted online as a “Picnic Day” event, injuring four people and prompting an investigation. As of Monday evening, there have been no arrests made. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said the event, which drew hundreds of attendees, was marketed as a “Picnic Day” but had no legitimate ties to UC Davis Picnic Day, despite social media posts suggesting otherwise. Deputies were at the park attempting to disperse the crowds when they heard at least 20 gunshots. “We were fortunate that we already had deputies in the area,” said Sergeant Edward Igoe of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Cellphone video captured the moment gunfire erupted, sending hundreds of attendees running for safety. Four people, three men and one woman, ranging in age from 21 to 25, were shot and taken to a local hospital. All are expected to survive their injuries. Investigators are urging attendees to share any videos or information that could assist in identifying the suspects. “There’s the potential that there is a large amount of video evidence and everything else that people are going to have on their personal phones,” the sheriff’s office said. “We would really urge people to contact us, give that information to assist us in the investigation.” A vehicle of interest was spotted in Solano County after the shooting. Investigators found a gun in the car, and three people were detained and questioned. However, they have not been arrested as suspects in the case.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Gunfire broke out Saturday night at Howe Park in Sacramento County during an unauthorized gathering promoted online as a “Picnic Day” event, injuring four people and prompting an investigation. As of Monday evening, there have been no arrests made.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said the event, which drew hundreds of attendees, was marketed as a “Picnic Day” but had no legitimate ties to UC Davis Picnic Day, despite social media posts suggesting otherwise. Deputies were at the park attempting to disperse the crowds when they heard at least 20 gunshots.
“We were fortunate that we already had deputies in the area,” said Sergeant Edward Igoe of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
Cellphone video captured the moment gunfire erupted, sending hundreds of attendees running for safety.
Four people, three men and one woman, ranging in age from 21 to 25, were shot and taken to a local hospital. All are expected to survive their injuries.
Investigators are urging attendees to share any videos or information that could assist in identifying the suspects.
“There’s the potential that there is a large amount of video evidence and everything else that people are going to have on their personal phones,” the sheriff’s office said. “We would really urge people to contact us, give that information to assist us in the investigation.”
A vehicle of interest was spotted in Solano County after the shooting. Investigators found a gun in the car, and three people were detained and questioned. However, they have not been arrested as suspects in the case.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel