Authorities in Stockton, California are urgently appealing to the public for information following a mass shooting at a child's birthday party that left three children and one adult dead and 11 others wounded.
The shooting occurred Saturday evening at a banquet hall where more than 100 people had gathered to celebrate a 2-year-old's birthday. San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow told reporters no one was in custody by Sunday evening, and investigators believe there may have been multiple shooters.
The deadly incident in California comes amid concerns over gun violence and mass shootings in the United States, and tensions in the country are continuing to run high.
California has some of the strictest firearm laws in the country. These have at times been challenged, with a federal judge overturning the state's ban on assault weapons like the AR-15 rifle.
The shooting began just before 6 p.m. Saturday inside the banquet hall, with gunfire continuing outside the venue. Sheriff's spokesperson Heather Brent said investigators believe it was a "targeted incident," though officials have not elaborated on who might have been targeted or why they believe the attack was intentional.
The deceased include children ages 8, 9, and 14, along with a 21-year-old. At least one of the 11 wounded victims remains in critical condition. The 8-year-old victim attended a local school and had a parent who worked for Stockton Unified School District, according to Mayor Christina Fugazi. Counselors will be available at city schools this week.
Hours after the shooting, Stockton Police arrested five people, including a juvenile, on weapons and gang-related charges, though the sheriff said there was no indication these arrests were connected to the banquet hall killings.
Roscoe Brown, who works for Stockton's Office of Violence Prevention, said the party honored his brother's granddaughter, who turned 2 and was uninjured. Brown said a niece and nephew were shot, and he knows several other victims.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said during a media briefing on Sunday: "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. And so if you know anything about this, you have to come forward and tell us what you know."
Jason Lee, Stockton's vice mayor, in a statement on Facebook: "I am devastated and angry to learn about the mass shooting at a child's birthday party. A birthday party should never be a place where families fear for their lives."
Stockton's Mayor Christina Fugazi said in a statement: "Families should be together instead of at the hospital, standing next to their loved one, praying that they survive."
San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said in a Sunday update on X: "Detectives remain on scene this morning processing evidence with assistance from the California Department of Justice. This is still a very active and ongoing investigation, and information continues to develop. Early indications suggest this may have been a targeted incident, and investigators are exploring all possibilities."
"We are grateful for the information that has already been coming in from the community, and we ask that it continue. With the tips, video, and witness accounts provided so far, detectives are actively working on suspect descriptions and moving toward identifying and locating the individuals responsible for this horrific act."
Investigators are asking anyone with information, including cellphone video, witness accounts, or tips, to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.