STOCKTON, Calif. — Authorities in California are seeking information from witnesses following a heartbreaking shooting that occurred at a child's birthday party in Stockton on Saturday, which left four people dead, including three children ages 8, 9, and 14, and a 21-year-old.
The shooting erupted at a banquet hall filled with at least 100 attendees, as reported by San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow. Eyewitness accounts suggest that gunfire continued outside, raising suspicions of multiple shooters.
In addition to the fatalities, eleven others were wounded, with at least one person in critical condition. As of Sunday evening, no arrests had been made, prompting the sheriff to urge anyone with knowledge of the incident, including tips or cellphone videos, to come forward.
This is a time for our community to show that we will not put up with this type of behavior, when people will just walk in and kill children, Withrow stated, highlighting the community's need to reject such violence.
Authorities believe the shooting may have been targeted, though no further details were provided. The sheriff’s spokesperson welcomed any information, even rumors, as crucial to the investigation.
Among those affected, Roscoe Brown, who attended the party, expressed deep sorrow for his niece and nephew who were injured in the incident. You can’t shoot up a party. That’s senseless. A kid’s party, at that, he said.
Emmanuel Lopez shared his grief over the loss of his brother, Susano Archuleta, who was shot and killed in the attack. He described the scene of carnage and recounted how his own daughter, only nine years old, was shot in the head but survived.
The shooting has drawn significant attention, as Stockton, a city of 320,000, has seen rising violence. With a homicide rate that exceeded the state average in 2024, community leaders, including Mayor Christina Fugazi, expressed anguish over the loss of such young lives.
They should be writing their Christmas lists right now. Their parents should be out shopping for them for Christmas. To think that their lives are over... it breaks my heart, Fugazi remarked, emphasizing the profound impact on grieving families in the aftermath of this tragic event.
The shooting erupted at a banquet hall filled with at least 100 attendees, as reported by San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow. Eyewitness accounts suggest that gunfire continued outside, raising suspicions of multiple shooters.
In addition to the fatalities, eleven others were wounded, with at least one person in critical condition. As of Sunday evening, no arrests had been made, prompting the sheriff to urge anyone with knowledge of the incident, including tips or cellphone videos, to come forward.
This is a time for our community to show that we will not put up with this type of behavior, when people will just walk in and kill children, Withrow stated, highlighting the community's need to reject such violence.
Authorities believe the shooting may have been targeted, though no further details were provided. The sheriff’s spokesperson welcomed any information, even rumors, as crucial to the investigation.
Among those affected, Roscoe Brown, who attended the party, expressed deep sorrow for his niece and nephew who were injured in the incident. You can’t shoot up a party. That’s senseless. A kid’s party, at that, he said.
Emmanuel Lopez shared his grief over the loss of his brother, Susano Archuleta, who was shot and killed in the attack. He described the scene of carnage and recounted how his own daughter, only nine years old, was shot in the head but survived.
The shooting has drawn significant attention, as Stockton, a city of 320,000, has seen rising violence. With a homicide rate that exceeded the state average in 2024, community leaders, including Mayor Christina Fugazi, expressed anguish over the loss of such young lives.
They should be writing their Christmas lists right now. Their parents should be out shopping for them for Christmas. To think that their lives are over... it breaks my heart, Fugazi remarked, emphasizing the profound impact on grieving families in the aftermath of this tragic event.
