Investigators urge witnesses of the deadly shooting at a child’s party in California to come forward
STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) — Authorities in California are urging witnesses to a fatal shooting at a child’s birthday party to come forward as the search for the suspect extends another day.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said three children, ages 8, 9 and 14, and a 21-year-old man were killed Saturday when gunfire erupted at a banquet hall in Stockton where at least 100 people had gathered. Detectives think the gunshots continued outside and there may have been more than one attacker.
He said 11 people were injured, at least one of whom was in critical condition. No one was in custody as of Sunday evening, and the sheriff urged anyone with information to contact his office with tips, cellphone footage or witness statements.
“This is a time for our community to show that we will not stand for this type of behavior, where people will come in and kill children,” Withrow said. “And if you know anything about this, you should come forward and tell us what you know. If not, you remain indifferent and think this is acceptable behavior.”
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Heather Brent previously said investigators believe this was a “targeted incident.” Authorities did not elaborate on why authorities believe this was intentional or who may have been targeted. He said investigators would welcome any information, even “rumours.”
Roscoe Brown said the party was held in memory of his brother’s grandchild, who turned 2 and was not injured. Brown, who works for the City of Stockton’s Bureau of Violence Prevention, was in Arizona when he learned of the shooting and immediately went to the scene. He said one of his nephews was shot and that he knew other victims. He had no information about their situation.
“You know who would come in and do this to some kids?” Brown told The Associated Press after a memorial service held by faith leaders to honor the dead and pray for the injured. “You can’t throw a party. That’s ridiculous. It’s a kids’ party, by the way.”
Emmanuel Lopez told Los Angeles Times His brother, 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, was shot in the neck and died at the scene. Lopez said his 9-year-old daughter was shot in the head but survived. He did not share details about what led to the shooting.
Stockton is a city of 320,000 about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of San Francisco. With 54 murders in 2024, Stockton’s murder rate was significantly higher than the state average. As of October, there were 34 this year, according to city data.
Hours after the shooting, the Stockton Police Department arrested five people, including a juvenile, on weapons and gang-related charges. The sheriff said there was no indication the arrests were connected to the banquet hall killings.
The 8-year-old victim attended a local school and had a parent who worked for the Stockton Unified School District, Mayor Christina Fugazi told reporters. The mayor said counselors will be in city schools this week.
He expressed his pain at the loss of the victims at such a young age.
“They must be writing their Christmas lists right now. Their parents must be shopping for them for Christmas. And they must think their lives are over. I can’t even imagine what these families are going through. It breaks my heart,” Fugazi said on Sunday.
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Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.
