California Shooting Leaves Four Dead, Ten Injured, Police Say

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A horrific scene of violence unfolded in Northern California on Saturday evening when a gunman opened fire on a family gathering, turning a celebration into a tragedy that has left four people dead and ten others wounded. The mass shooting, which occurred in the city of Stockton, targeted a group that included both children and adults, sending shockwaves through the community and launching a massive manhunt for a suspect who remains at large.

According to reports from Fox News, the incident took place during a private event, shattering the peace of the holiday weekend and drawing immediate condemnation from local and state officials who are now scrambling to investigate what preliminary reports suggest was a targeted attack.

The violence erupted shortly before 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, in the vicinity of the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue. Deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office responded to frantic reports of a shooting, arriving to find a chaotic scene with multiple casualties.

Fox News reported that the bloodshed occurred inside a banquet hall where a family gathering was taking place. The festive atmosphere was instantly replaced by terror as bullets struck the attendees.

In a heartbreaking revelation during a subsequent news conference, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the victims of the gunfire included children, a detail that has deepened the sense of anguish gripping the city.

While the identities of the victims have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin, the toll of the attack is severe. Officials confirmed that four individuals succumbed to their injuries, while ten others were transported to area hospitals for treatment.

The current medical conditions of the survivors remain unclear as medical teams work to stabilize those caught in the crossfire.

The scale of the violence has necessitated a coordinated response from multiple agencies, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) now probing the shooting alongside local detectives to determine the circumstances that led to such a significant loss of life.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement officials provided a grim assessment of the situation. A spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office indicated that early evidence gathered at the scene suggests this was not a random act of violence.

"Early indications suggest this may have been a targeted incident," the spokesperson told reporters, hinting at a specific motive that investigators are now working tirelessly to uncover.

However, despite this assessment, the perpetrator responsible for the carnage managed to escape the scene before authorities could apprehend them. The suspect remains at large, prompting a high-stakes search operation across the region as detectives follow up on leads and analyze evidence from the banquet hall.

The local government has reacted with a mixture of determination and despair. San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas issued a stern vow to the community and the families of the victims, promising that the judicial system would not rest until the assailant is caught.

"We are doing everything possible to bring the individual that's responsible for this to justice," Freitas said, emphasizing the dedication of the detectives who continue to work on determining a possible motive for the slaughter.

The Sheriff’s Office echoed these sentiments in a public statement, expressing deep sympathy for those whose lives have been irrevocably altered. "Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this senseless violence," the office stated.

The emotional toll of the tragedy was perhaps most poignantly articulated by Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee, who revealed the particularly heart-wrenching context of the gathering. According to Lee, the violence struck during a "child’s birthday party," adding a layer of profound tragedy to the loss of life.

In his statement reacting to the news, Lee expressed his raw emotion, stating, "I am devastated and angry to learn about the mass shooting at a child’s birthday party."

Interestingly, Lee referenced an "ice cream shop" in his comments, saying such a location "should never be a place where families fear," adding context to the location of the family gathering described elsewhere as a banquet hall.

The gravity of the mass shooting has drawn the attention of the highest levels of California’s state government. Fox News reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom has been fully briefed on the situation in Stockton.

The Governor's Office of Emergency Services has been activated and is actively coordinating with local law enforcement agencies to provide whatever resources are necessary to aid in the investigation and support the grieving community.

This state-level involvement underscores the severity of the incident, which occurred just a day after another violent event involving multiple gunshot victims at a Valley Fair Mall in California on Black Friday, painting a disturbing picture of violence over the holiday weekend.

As the investigation continues into the night and through the weekend, the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue remains the focal point of a complex inquiry. With the suspect still on the run, authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant.

The involvement of the FBI suggests that federal resources are being brought to bear to track down the individual responsible for turning a Saturday evening birthday celebration into a site of mass mourning.

For the residents of Stockton, the search for answers is just beginning, as they grapple with the reality that a banquet hall filled with families and children became the latest venue for a deadly act of targeted violence.