{"id":79483,"date":"2025-12-03T07:57:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T07:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/79483\/"},"modified":"2025-12-03T07:57:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T07:57:07","slug":"california-mass-shooting-victim-maya-lupian-weeks-away-from-birthday-when-killed-at-stockton-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/79483\/","title":{"rendered":"California mass shooting victim Maya Lupian weeks away from birthday when killed at Stockton party"},"content":{"rendered":"

An 8-year-old girl described as \u201cthe light in everyone\u2019s life\u201d was two weeks shy of her 9th birthday when she was gunned down during a shooting at a child\u2019s birthday party<\/a> in California, her grieving family revealed.<\/p>\n

Maya Lupian, a third grader from Stockton, was one of three kids tragically killed during the mass shooting inside a banquet hall on Saturday. Four people in total were killed, including a heroic 21-year-old man, while 11 others were also wounded during the frightening scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaya was the most outgoing 8-year-old you\u2019d ever meet,\u201d her sister, Yesenia, wrote on GoFundMe Tuesday.<\/a> \u201cShe loved to dance, sing and draw. She was a purple belt in karate, and she loved being active. Maya was the light in everyone\u2019s life, the sweetest soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maya Lupian, a third grader from Stockton, was one of three kids tragically killed during the mass shooting inside a banquet hall on Saturday. GoFundMe<\/p>\n

Lupian was supposed to celebrate her 9th birthday exactly two weeks after the tragic party. <\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cShe deserved a childhood full of laughter, school days, karate, family time and dreams\u2026 not this,\u201d Yesenia wrote. \u201cWe would have been celebrating her 9th birthday in just 2 weeks on December 13th.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are devastated, heartbroken and trying to navigate the impossible. As we work through overwhelming grief and emotions that accompany a tragedy like this, we are facing unexpected financial burdens, time away from work and want to secure ongoing support as we process this loss,\u201d the heartbroken sister said.<\/p>\n

A fellow 8-year-old, Journey Rose Reotutar Guerrero, was identified by her mother as another victim in the mass tragedy.<\/p>\n

The third-grader was celebrating her cousin\u2019s birthday when gunfire turned the happy gathering deadly.<\/p>\n

Lupian was supposed to celebrate her 9th birthday exactly two weeks after the tragic party. GoFundMe<\/p>\n

Journey Rose Reotutar Guerrero was identified as one of the four killed during the shooting in Stockton, California, on Nov. 29, 2025. GoFundMe<\/p>\n

\u201cJourney was always an inspiration for her family to do their best. She would always offer a helping hand to anyone she knew. She was a smart girl who loved trivia and solving math games,\u201d her mother Jackie Reotutar wrote on GoFundMe.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cJourney was growing up beautifully and should have had a long life where she could learn and play as much as she pleased. She had so many dreams and goals she wanted to reach,\u201d she said. \u201cJourney wanted to be a cheerleader when she entered high school & to continue her love for gymnastics. She wished to become a doctor & follow in her sister\u2019s footsteps. She wanted to help people.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the shooting broke out, one 21-year-old rushed some of the children and his girlfriend to a closet to escape danger. He was fatally struck by the gunfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaya was the most outgoing 8-year-old you\u2019d ever meet,\u201d her sister, Yesenia said. GoFundMe<\/p>\n

Susano Archuleta, 21, was hailed a hero for his actions before his death, his father and stepmother told KCRA. Archuleta was shot in the neck and died at the scene, his girlfriend was also shot but survived.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just upset right now. My brother died in my arms,\u201d Archuleta\u2019s brother Emmanuel Lopez told The Times.<\/a><\/p>\n

Lopez\u2019s own daughter, 9, was shot in the head but also survived.<\/p>\n

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Amari Peterson, 14, was identified<\/a> as the teen boy killed in the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy baby was innocent,\u201d heartbroken\u00a0mother Kim Peterson told the Stockton Record<\/a>. \u201cWe were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Who would have known my baby wasn\u2019t gonna come home with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Over 100 people had filled the banquet hall for the celebration when the shooting broke out as the 2-year-old birthday girl was cutting her cake.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI actually thought it was my balloons popping. It was gunshots,\u201d Patrice Williams said, revealing the partygoers dropped to the floor.<\/p>\n

Police tape blocks off the crime scene at the Stockton banquet hall on Nov. 30, 2025. AP<\/p>\n

Blood is stained on the ground outside the banquet hall after the mass shooting. David G. McIntyre for NY Post<\/p>\n

Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi attends a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting on Nov. 29, 2025. David G. McIntyre for NY Post<\/p>\n

The toddler\u2019s mother first believed the gunfire to be her balloons popping.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just unexpected. I don\u2019t know what happened, and I\u2019m just so shocked and lost,\u201d Williams added.<\/p>\n

Authorities haven\u2019t identified any suspects but have indicated the shooting was gang-related.<\/p>\n

Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi described the shooting attack as a \u201cpure act of terrorism. A complete, cowardly terrorist attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rapper MBnel was allegedly targeted in the attack,<\/a> his father told The Post Monday.<\/p>\n

MBnel \u2014 real name Johnel Dongon \u2014\u00a0was shot in the butt as he dropped off a gift for his pal\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just came to drop off a present at his friend\u2019s party, whose daughter was the celebrant,\u201d Junior Dongon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was shot, but he is OK. \u2026 He called me and said, \u2018Don\u2019t say anything to anybody,\u2019\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An 8-year-old girl described as \u201cthe light in everyone\u2019s life\u201d was two weeks shy of her 9th birthday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79484,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[45656,7,9,8,4589,7535,15774,483,3586],"class_list":{"0":"post-79483","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-california","8":"tag-birthdays","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-california-headlines","11":"tag-california-news","12":"tag-deaths","13":"tag-mass-shootings","14":"tag-shootings","15":"tag-stockton","16":"tag-us-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}