As of Tuesday, December 2, the mass shooting incident that occurred last Saturday in San Joaquin County, California’s Central Valley, has confirmed the identities of 4 victims (including 3 children) and the number of injured has increased from 11 to 13. According to relatives of the victims interviewed, the target of the shooting is likely a rap artist who had previously been associated with a local gang. The authorities have not confirmed any connection between the incident and gang activities.
The police have identified the four victims who lost their lives (including three minors). They are 8-year-old Maya Lupian, a 3rd grade student at Aspire APEX Academy Charter School, Journey Rose, a 3rd grade student in the Stockton Unified School District, 14-year-old African American teenager Amari Peterson from Stanislaus County, and 21-year-old youth Susano Archuleta.
Maya Lupian’s sister, Yesenia Lupian, wrote on the GoFundMe fundraising page, “Maya is the most cheerful 8-year-old girl I have ever seen.” She excels in academics, enjoys dancing, singing, and painting. She holds a purple belt in karate and loves sports.
“Yesenia mentioned, “Maya is a light in everyone’s life, she has the sweetest soul.” Her 9th birthday is just two weeks away, and now Yesenia finds herself heartbroken, temporarily leaving work and facing unexpected financial pressure. As of early Wednesday, donations have reached nearly $68,000, well on the way to the $90,000 goal.
Also an 8-year-old victim, Rose attended Commodore Stockton Skills School. Her mother, Jackie Reotutar, is a special education teacher at another school in the district.
Reotutar wrote on GoFundMe that Journey loves art, crafts, baking, and gymnastics. She enthusiastically shares what she learns with her family every day, full of curiosity, kindness, and gentleness. She is the youngest child in the family, “helpful, intelligent… with many dreams and goals to achieve, wanting to become a cheerleader in high school, continue pursuing her love for gymnastics, and follow in her sister’s footsteps to become a doctor and help others.” They have received over $20,000 in donations.
“I feel awful; I couldn’t save him.” Patrick Peterson, the father of the 14-year-old victim Amari, was present at the scene during the incident. He told the media that his son was away from him at the time, meeting a rap artist at the gathering, when suddenly gunshots rang out, “Bang, bang, bang… I stood there in a daze, then started looking around.”
He witnessed a lone gunman wearing a mask firing multiple shots towards the crowd where his son was, and it seemed the shooter had targeted that particular rapper: “He started firing, people scattered, ran, fell, desperately dodging.”
Holding his 1-year-old daughter, Patrick searched for his son. He found Amari shot in the chest, and Patrick recalls, “He was gasping for air, just struggling to breathe… I tried not to panic as much as possible.” Before paramedics arrived, Patrick performed CPR on his son, but tragically, Amari passed away after being taken to the hospital.
According to social media speculation, local rap artists MBNel (Filipino origin, real name Jhonel Dongon) and Fly Boy Doughy may have attended the party and might have been the targets of the attack.
The singer MBNel’s prefix “MB” stands for the Muddy Boyz street gang in Stockton, of which MBNel was a member. Muddy Boyz is an offshoot of the Southern California violent street gang, the Crips. Concerned for his safety, MBNel moved from Stockton to the outskirts of Sacramento about two years ago.
His father, Junior Dongon, revealed to the New York Post that his son and daughter-in-law were both injured at the party and then took cover but were already among the wounded.
“He was just going to a friend’s party to bring a gift; the party was for a friend’s daughter,” Junior Dongon said. “He got shot but it’s okay… He called me and said, ‘Don’t mention this to anyone.’… My daughter-in-law was shot in the buttocks.”
A few years ago, Junior Dongon and his wife’s home was targeted by gunfire with 22 bullets. He said, “We are very worried. I worry about my wife, but I am helpless.”
On Tuesday, San Joaquin County authorities stated that two individuals sought medical help on their own the previous night, bringing the total number of casualties to 17; the injured individuals ranged in age from 8 to over 30 years old.
Around 10:30 PM on November 29, Stockton police received a report and rushed to the 2800 block of Pixie Drive, about 10 kilometers from the shooting scene, arresting 5 suspect gunmen ranging in age from 16 to 32. The charges include conspiracy, violating weapon control laws, and involvement in gang activities, but no direct link to the shooting has been confirmed.
On December 1, Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi posted on Facebook, “Gang violence is present in cities across the country, but this incident is purely an act of terrorism, through and through, a cowardly act of terrorism!”
Sheriff Patrick Withrow of San Joaquin County stated that no arrests have been made, and initial indications suggest this was a premeditated attack, though specific motives, organization, and targets remain unclear. He refused to confirm gang activity, stating that “it is too early to draw conclusions.”
In October 2020, Stockton police announced the successful “Operation Criptonyte” targeting street gang crime, resulting in the seizure of 38 guns, the confiscation of $40,000 in cash, and the arrest of 34 individuals involved in various criminal activities, including the seizure of drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana. Investigators found that five street gangs had previously collaborated for greater profits, but some alliances had broken, leading to hostile relationships.