The aunt of the 21-year-old shot and killed in Stockton identified her nephew a day after gunfire broke out at a child’s birthday party, killing three others and wounding 11. 

“My nephew was one of the ones who was shot,” Patricia Flores said. “He was a good kid and he went to the celebration for a friend of his, it was his friend’s daughter, I believe.”

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Susano Archuleta was one of the four people killed in a mass shooting in Stockton on Saturday, Nov. 29, his aunt says.

The Archuleta Family

Flores identified her nephew as Susano Archuleta.

The ages of the three others killed were 8, 9 and 14. Authorities have not released the identification of any of the victims. 

Flores chose to turn to Christ and her community in her grief.

“It gives me hope. It makes me feel like the family is not alone,” she said.

Her niece and her toddler were also at that party, saying it’s a blessing they were in the bathroom when the bullets went flying.

“I guess she just heard shots and she just stayed there until she couldn’t hear anything,” Flores said.

The senior pastor of Central United Methodist Church, Ella Luna-Garza, happened to be in the shopping center just 30 minutes before the shooting.

“My guess is we did see some of the people who were directly affected,” Luna-Garza said.

Her heartbreak led her to hold the prayer vigil at her church, hoping to bring light in the midst of darkness.

“I thought the church needs to be present,” she said. “We need to be able to stand up and say, ‘Hey, we see you, we love you and we are willing to help make a change in this city.'”

It’s a change that these children’s families wish could have come sooner.

“Why would somebody want to do that? If you’re angry, why would you take it out on innocent people who have nothing to do with whatever problem it is that got you to do something like this?” Flores said. “He is going to be missed. He will definitely be missed.”

Authorities said the shooting happened at a banquet hall along Lucile Avenue on Saturday. A suspect, or suspects, has not been identified or arrested.

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