Children's Birthday Party Shooting Kills 4, Including 3 Kids, in Stockton, California

Four people were killed, including three children, when a gunman opened fire at people attending a children's birthday party in Stockton, California.

The local sheriff characterized the incident as particularly callous and brutal, adding that the victims were aged eight, nine, 14, and 21. The sheriff of San Joaquin County, California, Patrick Withrow, said, "These animals walked in and shot children at a children's birthday party, and none of us should stand for that."

Children's Birthday Party Shooting Kills 4, Including 3 Kids

There were 11 other people who were sent to the hospital after gunfire erupted shortly before 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. The incident took place at a banquet hall on the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue in Stockton.

Withrow added that at least one of the victims was in critical condition on Sunday, while the conditions of the other victims were unavailable. He said that the shell casings and rounds they recovered from the scene, including firearms on a rooftop, were still being processed for conclusive evidence, according to NBC News.

The sheriff said that so far, there appear to be multiple shooters involved in the tragic incident. However, it remains unclear whether these include anyone who may have returned fire after the initial shots.

Authorities have not taken anyone in custody as of Sunday night, and Withrow urged anyone who may have information regarding the attackers to cooperate with officials. Additionally, he said that investigators are looking to gather video footage from Saturday.

Officials are also offering a $25,000 reward for useful information that leads to the arrest of the people responsible for the shooting. However, they said that there was currently no threat to the community, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A Tragic Incident

Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi also addressed the incident, saying, "This is Thanksgiving weekend. This is when families come together. Stockton is better than this." The mayor was in tears during a news conference on Sunday afternoon, saying that the victims should be writing their Christmas lists right now.

While authorities have not yet provided an official motive for the incident, they suggest that gang violence was involved. They have already reached out to both state and federal officials for assistance, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Adam Schiff.

One resident, Emmanuel Lopez, said that his nine-year-old daughter was shot in the head but was able to survive. However, his brother, 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, was shot in the neck and later pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident comes as California has some of the strictest firearm laws in the United States, and has, in recent years, faced challenges to it. A federal judge overturned the state's ban on assault weapons in 2021, as per BBC.