Three children and one adult were killed Saturday at a banquet hall in Stockton during a child’s birthday party, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday.
Sheriff’s spokesperson Heather Brent said the ages of the people killed in the Stockton mass shooting were 8, 9, 14 and 21. The mass shooting, which happened in the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue, left 15 people hit by gunfire, Brent said. Initial reports indicated that 14 people suffered gunshot wounds.
“We will not be, out of privacy and concern for any of these victims, identifying any hospitals or locations they have been sent to,” Brent said during a news conference.
A Modesto Sutter Health Memorial spokesperson confirmed that three adult patients are at the hospital. All three are in “stable condition.” A call to St. Joseph’s Medical Center had not been returned.
The sheriff’s office said its investigative team is pursuing all possibilities about a possible suspect or suspects involved in the shooting. As of Sunday morning, no suspects were in custody, Brent said.
Early indications suggest this may be a “targeted incident,” Brent said during a news conference Saturday night.
Just before 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, sheriff’s deputies were called to a shooting in the area of the banquet hall, where approximately 100 to 150 attendees were present.
“They were coming together as a family, having a time to enjoy,” Brent said.
Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee expressed heartbreak and anger Saturday evening following reports of the mass shooting in the city.
“Tonight, my heart is heavy in a way that’s hard to put into words,” Lee wrote on Facebook shortly after 7 p.m. “As Vice Mayor of Stockton — and as someone who grew up in this community — I am devastated and angry to learn about the mass shooting at a child’s birthday party.”
Faith in the Valley announced that the organization would be holding a vigil at 3 p.m. Sunday at 9299 Thornton Road.
This remains an active scene, and deputies are working to gather additional details.
Information is still being confirmed and will be released as it becomes available, the agency said, and it asked people to stay out of the area.
The shooting occurred near a Dairy Queen and other businesses along Thornton Road, but the circumstances remain unclear.
If anyone has any information that could assist in this investigation, call the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office at (209) 468-4400.
The Record will update as we gather more information. We’ve made this story free as an important public service to the Stockton community. If you are able, help power local journalism by subscribing to the Stockton Record.
This article originally appeared on The Record: SJC Sheriff’s Office provides update on mass shooting in Stockton
Reporting by Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record / The Record
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