4 killed, 11 wounded after shooting at California child’s birthday party; suspect at large

First responders at scene of a mass shooting in Stockton, California on Saturday. | Ethan Swope/AP via CNN Newsource (CNN) — A mass shooting at a child’s birthday party inside a banquet hall in Stockton, California, left at least four people dead, 11 others wounded, and the suspected shooter remains at large, officials said. The violence in Stockton adds to a growing list of American communities whose everyday spaces – schools, shopping centers, bars and office buildings – have experienced gun violence. Children and adults were among those shot, according to Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. Officials did not immediately release the conditions of those taken to area hospitals. “Early indications suggest this may have been a targeted incident,” Brent said at a news conference. “This is a very active and ongoing investigation, and information remains limited,” she said. Those killed were ages 8, 9, 14 and 21, Brent said Sunday. Authorities have not released the names of the victims. The shooting occurred just before 6 p.m. in the northern part of the city, according to the sheriff’s office. The banquet hall, which shares a parking lot with several businesses, including a Dairy Queen, was hosting a family celebration that investigators were told was a birthday party for a young child with 100 to 150 people in attendance, Brent said. Stockton is about 40 miles south of Sacramento. The suspected shooter fled and remains at large, Brent said. Officials are urging the public for help with information as detectives work to determine a possible motive. “Investigators are exploring all possibilities,” Brent said. The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation. “My heart goes out to the families of those killed, the injured, and the survivors,” said former Rep. Gabby Giffords, herself a survivor of gun violence and founder of the gun violence prevention organization GIFFORDS. “While we await for more information on the shooting, what is painfully obvious is that we need our federal leaders to act to stop gun violence.” There have been at least 380 mass shootings in the US so far this year – defined as when at least four people are shot, not including the shooter – according to the Gun Violence Archive. In January, a shooting at Martin’s Super Market in Elkhart, Indiana, left two people dead and two police officers injured. In August, a man walked into the lobby of a Park Avenue skyscraper in New York City, killed a police officer, then opened fire on other innocent strangers. The next month in Colorado, a shooting at Evergreen High School left two students critically wounded after a fellow student allegedly opened fire during their third week of classes. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the shooting, according to his office. Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi said in a statement that the governor has “offered the full support of the state of California” to assist the community. “Tonight our city is facing a heartbreaking and painful situation,” Fugazi wrote. “Please keep the victims, their loved ones, and our first responders in your prayers.”The post 4 killed, 11 wounded after shooting at California child’s birthday party; suspect at large appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com