A family celebration in Stockton, California, descended into chaos on Saturday evening when a gunman opened fire, killing four people and injuring ten others. Authorities say children were among the victims of the attack, which unfolded at a busy restaurant shortly before 6 p.m.
The suspect fled the scene and remains at large. Early indications suggest the attack may have been “targeted,” according to investigators who are now combing through witness accounts and video footage.
Initial comments by Deputy Mayor Jason Lee suggested the gathering may have been a children’s birthday party. Though police have not confirmed the specific type of event, they stressed that it was a family occasion. “A birthday party should never be a place where families fear for their lives,” Lee wrote in a social media post.
Footage from the aftermath and frantic emergency response calls paint a grim picture of a community shaken to its core. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Heather Brent called the shooting “unfathomable,” emphasizing how limited information still is at this early stage of the investigation. Authorities are appealing to the public for assistance, urging anyone who saw the incident or captured video to contact police.
Stockton’s Mayor Christina Fugazi condemned the attack, saying the violence was “unacceptable,” and lamenting that families were now “at the hospital, standing next to their loved one, praying that they survive.”
California—known for its tough gun-control laws—continues to face ongoing legal battles over firearm regulations. A 2021 ruling overturned the state’s decades-long ban on assault weapons, and a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision broadening gun-carrying rights further complicated statewide efforts to curb gun violence.
