Investigators say a helicopter and K-9 helped track a fleeing suspect near apartments off College Oak Drive.
NORTH HIGHLANDS, Calif. — Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies arrested a 20-year-old man Tuesday after witnesses reported gunfire aimed at traffic near Madison Avenue and College Oak Drive, an area lined with apartments and small businesses just east of Interstate 80.
Deputies said the shooting happened around 3 p.m., drawing an immediate response that included a perimeter, an overhead helicopter and a K-9 team. The sheriff’s office said no one was hurt and described shots fired at “at least one car.” The case matters now because investigators recovered video that appears to show a man walking with a handgun and because the incident briefly disrupted a corridor used by commuters and service workers in unincorporated Sacramento County.
According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect ran after the shots. Air support guided deputies toward an apartment complex walkway, where units on the ground encountered a man who tried to keep moving. After a short struggle, deputies detained him and later booked him into jail. Detectives said nearby surveillance footage and witness accounts linked the man to the shooting report. Investigators continued canvassing on Tuesday evening, documenting a vehicle believed to have been targeted and checking for fresh damage consistent with gunfire.
Officials identified the arrested man as 20-year-old Dijah Williams, whom they described as an alleged gang member. Deputies said the video they shared shows a man holding a handgun while walking. The sheriff’s office said witnesses saw the shooter run across College Oak toward multiunit buildings as drivers pulled over or exited parking lots. Investigators reported no injuries and said they had not located additional victims as of Wednesday morning. The number of rounds fired remained under review, and deputies did not immediately disclose the caliber of the weapon or whether a firearm was recovered.
North Highlands and the adjacent Foothill Farms community have seen stepped-up patrols around the Madison corridor during afternoon hours when traffic stacks at curb cuts and side streets. Recent sheriff’s responses have relied on helicopters to seal perimeters quickly while ground teams move into stairwells, breezeways and carports where evidence can be tossed. Tuesday’s operation followed that model and cleared within a few hours, allowing businesses to keep normal hours and buses to resume regular stops along Madison Avenue.
Detectives said reports and video will be forwarded to prosecutors for a charging decision. Booking logs and a first court appearance date were not immediately available late Wednesday. If charges such as shooting at an occupied vehicle are filed, a hearing could be set as early as next week in Sacramento Superior Court. The sheriff’s office said additional information, including any stills from surveillance video, may be released after all known witnesses are interviewed.
By dusk, crime-scene tape had come down on College Oak Drive and deputies had left a small cluster of evidence markers near a parking lot entrance. A resident carrying groceries said people stayed inside during the helicopter pass. “We heard the pops and then the chopper,” the resident said. “After that, everybody waited until the deputies cleared it.” Traffic on Madison returned to normal as night commuters moved through the intersection.
Investigators said the scene was secure late Tuesday with no injuries reported, and they expect to update the case status after reviewing surveillance footage and completing follow-up interviews.
Author note: Last updated November 21, 2025.