UNITED STATES, California – Four people were killed and 10 wounded in a shooting at a family gathering in Stockton, California on Saturday night, US police said, calling it a “targeted incident.”
The shooting took place inside a banquet hall in Stockton, northeast of San Francisco, just
before 18:00, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s office spokesperson Heather Brent told
reporters in a news briefing.
The victims, who range from “juveniles to adults,” were taken to local hospitals, Brent said,
adding that information on the shooting was limited.
“What we have confirmed at this time is that there was a banquet hall where a family was
celebrating. We have 14 victims of this shooting. Four of those are deceased,” Brent said.
“Early indications suggest that this may be a targeted incident. Investigators are exploring all
possibilities at this time.”
The sheriff’s office said in a post on social media that detectives were “working to determine
the circumstances leading up to this tragedy.”
“We are urging anyone with information, video footage, or who may have witnessed any part
of this incident to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office immediately,” it said.
No suspect has been identified so far.
California Governor Gavin Newsom had been briefed on the shooting, his office said in a post
on social media.
There have been 504 mass shootings in the United States so far this year including the
Stockton incident, according to the Gun Violence Archive – which defines a mass shooting as
four or more people shot.
In September of last year, Newsom signed a number of bills into law to bolster California’s nation-leading gun laws, adding stronger protections against gun violence, according to the Office of the Governor’s official site.
