Four people were killed in a mass shooting in north Stockton on Saturday evening, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff’s officials said the shooting occurred shortly before 6 p.m. in the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue. At least 14 people were shot in the attack, and sheriff’s officials said multiple people were taken to local hospitals.
(Video by Daniel Garza/Stocktonia)
Authorities said the shooting occurred at a banquet hall near a Dairy Queen. The area is in a neighborhood north of Hammer Lane. Sheriff’s spokesperson Heather Brent said it appeared to be a “targeted incident.”
“There was a banquet hall where a family was celebrating,” Brent said. “We have 14 victims of this shooting. Four of those are deceased.”
The victims “range from juvenile to adult,” Brent said, but she did not provide specific ages.
Initial information indicated that people were inside the banquet hall at a family gathering, Brent said. During a briefing Saturday night, Mayor Christina Fugazi and District Attorney Ron Freitas said children were among the victims.
Brent could not say whether authorities believed there was more than one shooter, or whether a weapon had been found.
Officials urged anyone with information to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.
Police stage in the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue following a mass shooting that left at least four people dead on Saturday. (Photo by Scott Linesburgh/Stocktonia)
Brent said outside law enforcement agencies are assisting the Sheriff’s Office, including the Stockton and Manteca police departments and the FBI.
Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee, said in an online post he was “devastated and angry” to learn about the attack. “We don’t deserve this,” Lee said. “And we will not accept this as our norm.”
Stockton Councilmember Michele Padilla, whose district includes where the shooting occurred, said from the scene, “I just have a heavy heart. Not only is it in my district, but it affects our whole city.”
Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, D-Tracy, said in a statement after the shooting that she was “heartbroken by the violence and tragedy in Stockton and the senseless loss of life that has resulted from this.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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