Highway 50 Closed Twice in One Day: What We Know About the Howe Avenue Shooting and Earlier Incident

Eastbound Highway 50 was shut down at Howe Avenue Tuesday afternoon after Sacramento County deputies stopped a vehicle that may be connected to a deadly shooting in the area. The sheriff’s office responded to reports of a shooting in the 800 block of Howe Avenue around 3 p.m. Deputies found one person unresponsive and the Fire Department pronounced them dead at the scene. Witnesses described a heavy law enforcement presence with drones overhead and officers surrounding a vehicle with guns drawn. The sheriff’s office says the situation is an active investigation and the vehicle stop is possibly related to the shooting.

This marks the second Highway 50 closure of the day. Earlier Tuesday, a pursuit near Hazel Avenue ended in a fatal officer-involved shooting, shutting down the freeway for an extended period. Commuters who made it through that first closure were then faced with another shutdown just hours later. Westbound traffic is currently being diverted at Watt Avenue, and eastbound remains closed at Howe Avenue while investigators process the scene.

For a region where Highway 50 is the main artery connecting Sacramento to Folsom, El Dorado Hills, and beyond, two major disruptions in one day are a significant blow to local commuters and businesses. Law enforcement is urging drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes. We’ll continue to update this story as more information becomes available. Have you been affected by today’s closures? Let us know how your commute went in the comments below.