A child’s birthday party in Stockton turned into one of the region’s deadliest mass shootings in years, leaving four people dead — three of them children — and nearly a dozen others wounded.

The tragedy unfolded just before 6 p.m. Saturday at a banquet hall in an unincorporated part of San Joaquin County, north of the Stockton city limits. Investigators say the attack appeared targeted.

Authorities on Tuesday continued searching for suspects as the FBI announced it would offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Here’s what we know so far:

What happened?

The gunfire erupted shortly before 6 p.m., according to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our units responded and found approximately 15 victims of gunshot wounds at this party. And, unfortunately, four of those 15 are deceased,” San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said.

Officials said the shooting appeared to begin inside the banquet hall before moving outdoors. “It appears that it started indoors and then worked its way outdoors,” Withrow said at a news conference with reporters Sunday.

Where did it happen?

The shooting unfolded at the Monkey Space hall, in the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue. The property is in an unincorporated pocket of north Stockton near Thornton Road, a major thoroughfare north of Hammer Lane, between Wagner Heights Road and Waudman Avenue.

The venue in The Outpost shopping center and office park was formerly home to the Kudos Children’s Theater Company, which folded late last year. The hall is several hundred yards west of Thornton Road and the property backs up to Thornton Plaza, which has a Dairy Queen, a liquor store, a comic book store, a martial arts studio, a veterinarian’s office and several other businesses. An O’Reilly Auto Parts is also nearby.

Stockton is about 35 miles south of Sacramento and 60 miles east of San Francisco. It’s the state’s 11th largest city, with a population of about 320,000 people.

How many people were there?

At the time of the shooting, the birthday party had drawn 100 to 150 guests, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Heather Brent said.

Multiple victims were treated at the scene. Video showed medics working on at least one child on the street outside the venue as deputies cordoned off the area.

Initial reports of where the shooting took place were confused as some attendees ran toward nearby businesses to escape the bullets, according to witnesses, and a wooden fence was all that separated The Outpost’s property and a walkway between buildings in the larger shopping center.

The business, operated under the name Monkey Space, was run by Willie Colins and his girlfriend through a company called Vertical Compass LLC. The venue was not a licensed banquet hall, and the party was not booked through formal event platforms, according to the business owner.

Who are the victims? How many were hurt?

The count of dead and injured was 15 people, ranging from children to adults.

The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said four people were killed: children aged 8, 9 and 14, and a 21-year-old adult.

The county has not yet released the victims’ names. Hilary Crowley, a spokesperson for the county, said the decision was made “out of the deepest respect for the families” and at the request of investigators.

But family members have already come forward.

One of the victim has been identified as 21-year-old Susano Archuleta. His brother, Emmanuel Lopez, told the Los Angeles Times that Archuleta was shot in the neck and died at the scene. Lopez said his 9-year-old daughter was also shot in the head at the party but survived.

Maya Lupian, 8, was remembered by loved ones as a joyful and active girl who excelled in school and karate. She was a third-grader at Aspire Apex Academy in Stockton and held a purple belt in martial arts. Maya’s family said she loved dancing, singing and drawing, and was looking forward to her 9th birthday on Dec. 13.

“She was the light in everyone’s life, the sweetest soul,” a family member wrote in a GoFundMe post. “She deserved a childhood full of laughter, school days, karate, family time and dreams … not this.”

“We are deeply saddened to learn that one of the victims of last night’s tragic mass shooting was a Stockton Unified School District student,” Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez said in a statement first reported by online news outlet Stocktonia. “As educators we hurt deeply anytime a child is hurt. We hold this student’s family in our hearts, and we grieve alongside them and our entire community.”

A 14-year-old boy killed in the shooting was identified by his father, Patrick Peterson, as Amari Peterson of Modesto. Peterson said his daughter was also injured in the attack but escaped by climbing a fence.

“I can’t believe I’m talking about my son in the past tense,” Peterson said in an interview with The Bee on Monday.

Eleven other people were injured or wounded, though their injuries were not detailed by authorities. Initially, authorities said there were 14 victims in all. On Sunday morning, the Sheriff’s Office said that the 15th victim had been discovered.

Former Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs confirmed one of the 11 wounded was Jasmine Delafosse, a close friend of his. Her condition was not known.

What are the survivors’ medical status?

As of Sunday afternoon, officials had not provided full updates on the condition of the 11 people wounded. Sheriff Withrow said: “The only thing I know is that I know at least one is critical.”

“The status on all the other victims, I’m not sure,” he said.

A Modesto Bee reporter on Sunday morning confirmed that three patients transported to Sutter Memorial Hospital in Modesto were in stable condition.

How is the community responding?

Less than 24 hours after the shooting, hundreds of people gathered in a somber vigil on Thornton Road near the crime scene. Faith leaders, elected officials and residents came together Sunday afternoon to mourn the four lives lost and to call for an end to gun violence in Stockton.

“I want you to look around at the people that’s gathered here today,” said Trina Turner, a pastor at Victory in Praise Church. “People just heard about it, saw a flyer and they showed up to stand here today. But I need us to stand tomorrow and next week and next month, to begin to speak out.”

The vigil, organized by the interfaith coalition Faith in the Valley, welcomed people of all faiths. Under chilly, gray skies, attendees held votive candles and flowers as symbols of grief and unity despite their visible anger over the violence.

“I’m mad as hell that an 8-year-old, that a 9-year-old, that a 14-year-old, that a 21-year-old was killed in our city,” said Leon Scoggins, founder and pastor of Life Unity Church. “But we’re going to leave and say, ‘Devil you will not have this city. ... Get the hell out of our city.’”

Vice Mayor Jason Lee, whose brother was killed in a drive-by shooting decades ago, addressed those who might seek retaliation.

“It’s human to want to hurt people who hurt people you love,” Lee said. “But I had a choice to make… I hope that the people out there in our community make the right choice and contact law enforcement.” He added, “It’s never been gangster to kill kids.”

Who are the suspects?

No suspects have been arrested. Investigators are still processing the crime scene and following leads.

“We do not have anyone in custody at this time, with charges or anything like that regarding this crime,” Withrow said.

Withrow could not speak to reports about five people arrested by Stockton police later in the night.

Authorities are reviewing video, witness statements and physical evidence. Several vehicles were towed from the scene for forensic processing, including ones with visible bullet holes.

So were there multiple shooters?

Sheriff Withrow said early indications point to more than one shooter, though that has not been confirmed.

“We believe, from what we’ve gathered so far, that it appears to be multiple shooters,” he said at the news conference. “As we gather the evidence … we’ll find out whether there was one gun or multiple guns. … So once again we’re gonna be very diligent before we say definitively.”

Detectives are still examining ballistics and video to determine the exact number of shooters, as well as investigating reports that weapons were found on the roof of the venue space.

Why did this happen?

Authorities have not publicly identified a motive, but investigators believe the attack was not random.

Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi initially described the shooting as gang-related, but Withrow declined to confirm that characterization. He cautioned against drawing conclusions before all evidence has been reviewed.

Investigators believe the shooters had a connection to someone at the party but have not said who the intended target may have been. The sheriff emphasized that the general public is not believed to be at risk from an indiscriminate attack.

“I’m sure (the mayor) was well-intentioned,” he said, referring to Fugazi’s earlier statements, “but at this time our investigation … is very early on.”

Withrow added. “We’re not going to say one thing or specifically another thing until we’ve gone through all our evidence and know exactly that we’re giving you exactly the facts of what occurred there”

That said, “We’re confident this was not a random act,” he said. “They walked into this area and (were) probably looking for somebody in particular. Why they did that, what they’re part of, who they are — we don’t know.”

Withrow concluded: “This wasn’t just some terrorist-type attack where they walked in and just wanted to kill people. So we’re not going to say whether it’s gang-related or not until we have all the facts in front of us.”

Were rappers the target of the shooting?

Statements circulated on social media following the shooting that Stockton-based rappers MBNel and Fly Boy Doughy may have been present at the birthday party and could have been targeted in the attack. The online outlet 209 Times published a report claiming the two were in attendance and that the party was held for the daughter of another rapper known as Nano. These claims have not been confirmed by law enforcement.

A person identifying themselves as a family member of MBNel posted a comment online that the rapper was not injured, though The Sacramento Bee has not independently verified whether MBNel or any other musicians were at the event.

Withrow, the sheriff, did not address the online postings about rappers directly but reiterated the shooting did not appear to be random.

The shooters “walked into this area and was probably looking for somebody in particular,” Withrow said during a news briefing. But as of now, no law enforcement agency has publicly named any individual believed to have been targeted.

MBNel, whose name is Jhonel Dongon, is a Stockton native who has spoken publicly about his upbringing in south Stockton and early ties to street life. In a 2019 interview with ABC10, he said he was trying to move away from gang affiliation and use music as a positive outlet.

Dongon has not commented publicly on the shooting.

Who’s investigating the shooting?

The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation, with support from federal and local agencies including the California Highway Patrol, the state Department of Justice, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI.

Sheriff Withrow noted their crime scene team worked overnight and is processing evidence, reviewing witness accounts and video footage.

Is there a reward for information?

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for the shooting.

People can submit tips and digital evidence at fbi.gov/stocktonshooting.

Previously, a reward of up to $25,000 was being offered by Fugazi, another councilmember and Crime Stoppers.

What leaders are saying about the shooting

Fugazi, who has been Stockton’s mayor since November 2024, condemned the violence and asked residents to help solve the case.

“Stockton is better than this,” Fugazi said. “Whoever did this, if you know them … please call Crime Stoppers. You can leave an anonymous tip.”

She later added: “Families should be together instead of at the hospital, standing next to their loved one, praying that they survived.”

Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, who represents San Joaquin County, said he was “heartbroken” by the tragedy and had spoken with law enforcement working on the case.

“The past 24 hours have been incredibly difficult for our Stockton community. Pam and I are heartbroken,” Harder said. “We lost four lives last night in a senseless shooting. ... No community deserves this. No child deserves this.”

Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, D-Tracy, who represents the Stockton area in the state Assembly, called the shooting “a senseless loss of life.”

“My heart is with the families experiencing unimaginable pain and with those who have been injured,” she said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office called the incident “horrific” and said the state’s Office of Emergency Services was coordinating with local authorities.

San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas pledged to pursue the strongest possible charges once a suspect is arrested.

“When this individual is caught, you have my promise that you will have the full force of my office’s resources in holding this individual fully accountable,” Freitas said at the scene. “Children should not be harmed by gun and gang violence.”

What if I saw something or know something?

Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the shooting or has video to come forward, even if the information seems minor.

“Please, if you saw something, if you videotaped something, even if you think it’s minor, reach out to us,” Withrow said. “We’d much rather get a call from you that’s not related than miss something that we absolutely need.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office at 209-468-4400 or Stockton Crime Stoppers at 209-946-0600.

The Sacramento Bee’s Daniel Hunt, Don Sweeney and Camryn Dadey contributed to this story.

mcc-vertical

Lee's Summit church helps teens shine with free prom dresses

Get unlimited digital access

#ReadLocal