Sheriff urges witnesses of the deadly Stockton shooting at a child’s party to come forward

4 killed, several wounded in shooting at child's birthday party in Stockton

Four people were killed – three of them children – and several more were injured in a shooting at a child's birthday party in Stockton on Saturday.

STOCKTON, Calif. - Sheriff's officials in Stockton are urging witnesses of a deadly shooting at a child’s birthday party to come forward as the search for a suspect stretched into another day.

$25K reward

The mayor is offering a $25,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to a significant arrest.

Three children ages 8, 9 and 14 and a 21-year-old were killed when gunfire broke out Saturday about 6 p.m. at a banquet hall in the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue in Stockton where at least 100 people were gathered, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said. Detectives believe the gunfire continued outside and there may have been multiple shooters.

A KTVU camera crew spotted bullet holes in the walls of the venue and children's toys covered in blood. Witnesses said masked gunmen came in and started firing.

The mayor of Stockton said the attack was gang-related, but the sheriff said they are leaving every stone unturned.

Children's toys are scattered outside a Stockton banquet hall where four people were killed. Nov. 30, 2025 Photo: KTVU/Jaden Schaul

4 dead, 11 wounded

Eleven people were also wounded, with at least one in critical condition, he said. No one was in custody by Sunday evening, and the sheriff urged anyone with information to contact his office with tips, cellphone video or witness accounts.

"This is a time for our community to show that we will not put up with this type of behavior, when people will just walk in and kill children," Withrow said. "And so, if you know anything about this, you have to come forward and tell us what you know. If not, you just become complacent and think this is acceptable behavior."

Sheriff’s spokesperson Heather Brent said earlier that investigators believe it was a "targeted incident." Officials did not elaborate on why authorities believe it was intentional or who might have been targeted. She said investigators would welcome any information, "even rumors."

A couple holds a rose and candle at a vigil in Stockton where three children and a 21-year-old were killed. Nov. 30, 2025 Photo: KTVU/Jaden Schaul

2-year-old's birthday party

Roscoe Brown said the party was in honor of his brother’s granddaughter, who turned 2 and was uninjured. Brown, who works for the city of Stockton’s Office of Violence Prevention, was in Arizona when he learned about the shooting and drove straight to the scene. He said a niece and nephew of his were shot, and he knows several other victims. He didn’t have information about their conditions.

"Who would come and do that to some kids, you know?" Brown told The Associated Press following a vigil organized by faith leaders to honor the dead and pray for the wounded. "You can’t shoot up a party. That’s senseless. A kid’s party, at that."

Marisol Beltran of Stockton came out Sunday night along with others to light candles and lay roses near the spot where the four were killed.

"It's important to show compassion for the community," she said. "Young children have died in this tragedy. My daughter, she is 8-years-old. I can identify with the parents."

A woman holds a candle at a vigil outside a Stockton banquet hall where four people were killed. Nov. 30, 2025 Photo: KTVU/Jaden Schaul

Brother of victim

Emmanuel Lopez told the Los Angeles Times his brother, 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, was shot in the neck and died at the scene. Lopez said his 9-year-old daughter was shot in the head but survived. He didn’t share details about what led up to the shooting.

Stockton is a city of 320,000 residents about 80 miles east of San Francisco. With 54 homicides in 2024, Stockton’s homicide rate was significantly higher than the state average. As of October, there had been 34 this year, according to city data.

Hours after the shooting, the Stockton Police Department arrested five people, including a juvenile, on weapons and gang-related charges. There was no indication that the arrests were connected to the killings at the banquet hall, the sheriff said.

Bullet holes mark the outside of the banquet hall in Stockton where four were killed. Nov. 30, 2025

Mayor Christina Fugazi told reporters that the 8-year-old victim attended a local school and had a parent who worked for the Stockton Unified School District. The mayor said counselors would be available this week at city schools.

She also said she's reaching out to Gov. Gavin Newsom, senators and the White House for additional resources.

"We're not going to allow this to continue," she said. "Once they get this message, once the gang members get the message that we're not playing in the city of Stockton, they're going to go somewhere else."

Fugazi also expressed anguish over the loss of victims so young.

"They should be writing their Christmas lists right now. Their parents should be out shopping for them for Christmas. And to think that their lives are over. I can’t even begin to imagine what these families are going through. Breaks my heart," Fugazi said on Sunday.