Nearly two days after a child’s birthday party in Stockton, California, erupted into gunfire, killing four people — including three children ages 8, 9, and 14 — authorities say they still have no suspects in custody.
The lack of arrests is deepening frustration and fear in a community already reeling from one of the Central Valley’s deadliest mass shootings in years.
The shooting unfolded around 6 p.m. on November 29 inside a banquet hall in a strip mall, just steps from a Dairy Queen. What should have been a safe, joyful moment for families instead became a scene of chaos, with fourteen people shot and survivors running for cover amid overturned tables, balloons, and birthday decorations.
Officials have described the attack as “targeted,” though they have not released details about the alleged dispute behind it. Investigators from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Stockton Police, the California Highway Patrol, and the FBI are combing through surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses — but as of December 1, no arrests have been made.
“We’re asking anyone who saw anything to please come forward,” spokesperson Heather Brent said, urging tips via the sheriff’s hotline. “We cannot do this alone.”
Among the injured are several adults and two children — one a 9-year-old in fair condition, another in critical condition. The surviving families are now grappling with trauma that will outlast the investigation.
Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee called the shooting “a nightmare no family should endure,” stressing that a birthday party should be “the last place families fear for their lives.” Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said it is closely monitoring developments and will address the public today.
The incident has renewed questions about rising gun violence across California’s Central Valley — a region where agricultural towns, economic insecurity, and entrenched gang disputes often collide. But for Stockton families, the focus right now is painfully simple: answers.
One local resident summarized the city’s mood: “We’re scared, we’re angry, and we need to know who did this.”
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the San Joaquin County Prosecutor’s tip line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC.
