On November 29, a large-scale shooting occurred at a children’s birthday party in Stockton, San Joaquin County, California, resulting in the tragic death of a 14-year-old victim. The shooting left four dead, including three minors, and 11 others injured. Authorities believe there were multiple gunmen involved, and the mayor has announced a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the capture of the suspects.
The four victims ranged in age from 8 to 21, with the 14-year-old victim identified as Amari Peterson, an African American boy from Modesto, the county seat of Stanislaus County. Amari’s mother expressed that her son was innocent, and his only “mistake” was being in the wrong place at the wrong time at the children’s party, simply playing like any other child there.
Amari’s mother initiated a charity fundraising effort on Venmo under the account @Kimberly-Pangnanouvong, while simultaneously, a GoFundMe campaign was set up for the Peterson family, garnering approximately $18,000 by the time of reporting.
The website stated, “No parent should endure the pain of losing a child, and no family should have to go from planning a birthday to planning a funeral.” Amari was an outgoing and sunny sportsman who played football and basketball, contemplating his future and considering his dream college, never having been involved in any gang activities.
The Central Valley Youth Basketball Academy, where Amari was a member of the CV Hornets team, also encouraged donations on GoFundMe through their social media.
According to The Stockton Record, the California Victims Compensation Board (CalVCB) mentioned that victims, witnesses, and family members affected by the Stockton mass shooting may be eligible for up to $70,000 in state government assistance for medical expenses, counseling, emotional support, and compensation for income loss due to the incident.
The shooting took place around 6:00 pm. Later that evening around 10:30 pm, Stockton police officers arrested five armed individuals, aged between 16 and 32, near the 2800 block of Pixie Drive. Charges against the five individuals include conspiracy, violating weapons control laws, and involvement in gang activities.
Authorities stated that they cannot confirm whether these five individuals are linked to the large-scale shooting incident at the Monkey Space banquet hall, both inside and outside.
As of December 1, no suspects had been arrested in relation to the shooting incident by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Patrick Withrow expressed confidence during a Sunday press conference that the perpetrators will be apprehended and brought to justice.
“We need the public’s assistance, anyone with relevant information is urged to contact us,” Sheriff Withrow stated. “These monsters invaded a children’s birthday party and shot children. We will not tolerate such behavior. If you have any information, please come forward and share everything you know, any leads provided will be helpful to us.”
Withrow added, “We can confirm this was not a random incident, the suspects were potentially targeting someone – certainly not a stranger, but as for the motive, we are still unsure.” He mentioned that the police will refrain from making any further comments or asserting gang affiliations until all evidence has been reviewed and facts confirmed.
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi announced a $25,000 reward to gather information that could assist in apprehending the gunmen, with $10,000 offered by Crimestoppers, an additional $10,000 from the mayor herself, and Councilwoman Mariela Ponce pledging $5,000.
Individuals with information can contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency hotline at (209)468-4400 or the Stockton Crime Stoppers hotline at (209)946-0600.