A woman was killed near a Sacramento Panera Bread before deputies located the suspected gunman’s vehicle on the freeway.
SACRAMENTO, CA — A woman was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon near a Panera Bread in Sacramento County, and the suspected gunman was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after deputies stopped his vehicle on Highway 50, authorities said.
The violence began around 3 p.m. Sept. 8 in the 800 block of Howe Avenue in the Arden-Arcade area. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said several people called to report a shooting near the restaurant. Deputies arrived and found a woman unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene. Authorities had not publicly released the woman’s identity as of Wednesday.
Witnesses told investigators that a man chased the woman before shooting her in front of several people, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators obtained a description of the suspect’s vehicle and used license plate reader information to help locate it minutes later near Highway 50 and Watt Avenue. Authorities have not announced a suspected motive or said whether the man and woman knew each other.
Deputies assigned to Sacramento Regional Transit spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it, the Sheriff’s Office said. The driver stopped on Highway 50 between the Howe and Watt avenue areas but did not leave the vehicle. A large law enforcement response followed as deputies surrounded the vehicle and attempted to communicate with the driver.
When deputies eventually approached the vehicle, they found an adult man inside who appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. He was pronounced dead. Officials identified him as the suspected shooter in the Howe Avenue killing but had not publicly released his name as of Wednesday.
The response forced major traffic restrictions on Highway 50 during the afternoon commute. Traffic was stopped in both directions for part of the incident, with westbound lanes beginning to move again while restrictions remained on the eastbound side. The freeway was fully reopened by about 7:30 p.m., according to local news reports.
The shutdown was the second major law enforcement incident to disrupt Highway 50 in Sacramento County on Tuesday. Hours earlier, a separate pursuit ended near Hazel Avenue when officers from several agencies shot a driver who authorities said got out of a vehicle holding what appeared to be a gun. That person died. Authorities have given no indication that the two incidents were connected.
The Howe Avenue homicide remains under investigation. Detectives are working to determine what led to the shooting and the nature of any relationship between the victim and suspected gunman. Authorities said information released during the early stages of the investigation remains preliminary and could change as additional evidence is reviewed.
Author note: Last updated September 9, 2026.