BREAKING: At least 4 dead, 10 injured after mass shooting at family gathering in Stockton — investigation ongoing
Stockton, California — November 29, 2025
STOCKTON, Calif. — A devastating mass shooting erupted Saturday evening during what was meant to be a joyful family celebration at a banquet hall near Stockton, California, leaving at least four people dead and more than a dozen others wounded, authorities confirmed, shattering a quiet North Central Valley community and prompting a sprawling investigation involving local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
What Happened: The Shooting Unfolds
The venue, identified in later reporting as an event space where a 2‑year‑old’s birthday party was taking place, was filled with family members, friends and guests — estimated to be between 80 and 150 people — who had gathered to celebrate a routine Saturday evening.
According to eyewitness accounts and law enforcement initial reports, gunfire abruptly erupted just as the birthday party was about to reach a celebratory moment, with children and adults mingling inside the banquet hall. Within moments, what was a festive atmosphere degenerated into chaotic scenes of screams, running guests and desperate attempts to take cover.
Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched and arrived within minutes, but early responders were momentarily delayed when some were initially misdirected to a nearby Dairy Queen before locating the correct scene.
Casualties and Victims
Local medical examiners and law enforcement confirmed that four individuals were killed in the shooting, among them three children — ages 8, 9 and 14 — and a 21‑year‑old adult.
At least 10 others were injured by gunfire, with some later reports suggesting up to 13 or more wounded, with injuries ranging from critical to moderate, and victims spanning from juveniles to adults. Hospitals in the Stockton area and nearby cities received the wounded, with families anxiously learning of the conditions of their loved ones.
County medical personnel have not publicly released the identities of the deceased and injured, but family members confirmed their children and loved ones were among those caught in the crossfire. In some cases, relatives described the terror of watching bullets rip through the room where cousins, children and friends had been celebrating.
Eyewitness Accounts
Survivors told reporters that the shooting happened without warning, with multiple loud, rapid bursts of gunfire that seemed to come from more than one direction. Some guests described diving for cover behind tables or huddling with children under chairs.
One father, whose teenage son was killed, recounted watching the fatal shots strike his child as he attempted to protect younger relatives. Another survivor spoke of crawling through broken glass toward the exit as the sound of gunfire echoed through the hall.
Law Enforcement Response and Investigation
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office has taken the lead on the investigation, with extensive assistance from the Stockton Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Early Findings
Authorities indicated the attack might have been a “targeted incident” rather than a random mass shooting, though they have not publicly identified a motive or persons of interest. The sheriff’s office said investigators were processing evidence at the scene, including dozens of shell casings, ballistic evidence and surveillance video, to determine the sequence of events.
In later press briefings, Sheriff Patrick Withrow said investigators found approximately 50 shell casings from at least five different guns, suggesting multiple firearms were used in the attack, though that does not necessarily mean that five shooters were present.
Law enforcement has also released surveillance images of vehicles suspected to be connected to the incident and urged the public to help identify them, offering rewards totaling up to $130,000 for information leading to arrests.
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