Shortly after a prayer vigil Sunday in Stockton for those injured and killed in a Nov. 29 mass shooting at a child’s birthday party, family members were seen removing gifts and other party items from the establishment.
A man entering the building Sunday where the party was held asked the media for privacy. He said he was taking out his daughter’s belongings from her birthday party.
The man was still wearing a birthday-themed shirt.
Less than 24 hours before, about 100 to 150 people were gathered at the banquet hall in the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue in Stockton to celebrate.
The Saturday shooting left four dead and 11 others wounded. The victims killed were identified as three children, ages 8, 9 and 14, and a 21-year-old.
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi confirmed that the 8-year-old who was killed was a student in the Stockton Unified School District. She said the child’s parent also works for the school district.
In a news conference Sunday, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said, “These animals walked in and shot children at a children’s birthday party.”
Withrow said the shooting appeared to have started indoors at the banquet hall, then moved outside. More than a dozen bullet holes with evidence markers were visible on the entrance of the banquet hall.
Yellow caution tape had been removed from the scene shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday, when the prayer vigil was set to begin, giving access to the location where the shooting occurred.
‘The love needs to outweigh the hate’
At the prayer vigil hosted by the organization Faith in the Valley, community, state and local leaders, as well as community members, gathered in the cold weather. More than 150 people were in attendance.
The event was held a few streets away at Victoria Square on Thornton Road, near the site of the shooting.
Many held red or white roses in their hands. Others held candles.
Several religious leaders took turns at the podium praying and remembering those killed or injured in the shooting. The clergy’s calls to actions were all similar: stop the violence and report what you see.
“If you use your voice, it’s not snitching,” said Pastor Pamela Houston of God’s Church City of David.
She said no family deserved to endure such trauma, loss or senseless violence.
Standing with the Stockton community and listening to the prayers were Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, Sen. Jerry McNerney, Stockton Unified Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez, members of the Stockton City Council, San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair Paul Canepa and Supervisor Mario Gardea.
Do you remember where you were?
In his opening remarks, Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee said that when he started to think about the vigil, he recalled where he was during the Jan. 17, 1989, shooting at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton.
The shooting left five young children dead and 31 other people injured.
“We all remember where we were on that day,” Lee said. “I don’t want to have those types of memories over and over again.”
He also pointed out that Superintendent Rodriguez would have to explain to students that their fellow students wouldn’t be returning to school.
However, Lee said all his thoughts changed after speaking with the parents of children killed in the shooting. He also spoke to a woman who brought her niece and nephew. Both of the children were killed.
“That trauma lives on forever, and this community is dealing with a lot of trauma,” Lee said.
He had a message for the suspects responsible for the shooting: “It’s never been gangster to kill kids.”
Lee said parents brought their children to the party, and those kids left with medical examiners.
At the podium, Canepa said that although Stockton and San Joaquin County are resilient, love needs to outweigh hate.
“We are all here to show our love, not only for the victims but for the youth. That’s too young,” Canepa said. “It sickens me as a county leader. It sickens me as a human being.”
He added that it was a shame that people don’t value life.
“It’s a call to stand up, a call to rise up … God bless,” Canepa said.
As of Sunday afternoon, no suspects were in custody.
Fugazi announced that there is a $25,000 reward being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the shooter or shooters.
If anyone has any information that could assist in this investigation, call the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office at (209) 468-4400 or call Stockton Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600.
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This article originally appeared on The Record: ‘Here to show our love.’ Stockton mourns those killed, injured in mass shooting
Reporting by Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record / The Record
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