A gunman stormed a family event at a Stockton banquet hall Saturday night, killing four people and injuring at least 10 others.
Shortly before 6 p.m., the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office received a flood of 911 calls reporting shootings and reports of children as young as 9 bleeding, including a 15-year-old boy who was not breathing.
Officers responded to a Dairy Queen in the 1900 block of Lucille Avenue and found a shooting victim in the parking lot and a large crowd of panicked and screaming people.
Public Information Officer Heather Brent said the sheriff’s preliminary investigation indicates the incident was a targeted attack. Investigators are still considering all possibilities, she said.
While ambulances were called to take the victims to the hospital, others arrived on their own, including two men who walked into St. Joseph’s Medical Center with gunshot wounds.
“It is difficult to put into words how sad I am tonight,” Stockton Deputy Mayor Jason Lee said in a statement posted on Facebook. “I am in contact with staff and public safety officials to understand what exactly happened and I will seek answers.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office noted on social media that the state’s Office of Emergency Services is monitoring “the evolving situation and coordinating with local law enforcement.”
