3 children, 1 adult killed, 11 injured in shooting at birthday party in California

Three children were among four victims killed during a mass shooting at a child’s birthday party in California on Saturday.

Someone opened fire at a banquet hall in Stockton, Calif., where at least 100 people had gathered for a birthday party shortly after 6 p.m. local time on Nov. 29, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow told reporters during a news conference on Sunday.

Withrow said detectives believe the gunfire continued outside and there may have been multiple shooters.

Police said the deceased were ages 8, 9, 14 and 21. Eleven others were also wounded, with at least one in critical condition, Withrow added.

No one was in custody as of Sunday evening. Police are urging anyone with information to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.

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“This is a time for our community to show that we will not put up with this type of behaviour, when people will just walk in and kill children,” Withrow said during the media briefing.

“And so if you know anything about this, you have to come forward and tell us what you know. If not, you just become complacent and think this is acceptable behaviour.”

View image in full screen San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow speaks to the press outside of the sheriff’s office in French Camp, San Joaquin County, Calif., on Nov. 30, 2025. AP Photo/Sophie Austin

“These animals walked in and shot children at a children’s birthday party, and none of us should stand for that,” Withrow said.

Police are appealing to the public for tips, cellphone video and witness accounts as they continue to search for a suspect in the mass shooting.

Heather Brent, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, said earlier that investigators believe it was a “targeted incident.”

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“This was a birthday party for a young child, and the fact that this happened is absolutely heartbreaking,” Brent told reporters. She said investigators would welcome any information, “even rumours.”

Brent said that the FBI, Stockton police and other law enforcement agencies were assisting with the ongoing investigation.

View image in full screen Heather Brent, a public information officer with the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Department, speaks with members of the press near the site of Saturday’s shooting at a banquet hall in Stockton, Calif., on Nov. 30, 2025. Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

Shortly after the incident, police shared a Facebook post confirming that “14 individuals were struck by gunfire, and four victims have been confirmed deceased.”

“Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this senseless violence,” the post added.

In a follow-up post, police said it is “now confirmed that a total of 15 individuals sustained gunshot wounds during the incident.”

“Detectives remain on scene this morning processing evidence with assistance from the California Department of Justice. This is still a very active and ongoing investigation, and information continues to develop. Early indications suggest this may have been a targeted incident, and investigators are exploring all possibilities,” police added.

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Authorities said that they are “grateful for the information that has already been coming in from the community.”

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“With the tips, video, and witness accounts provided so far, detectives are actively working on suspect descriptions and moving toward identifying and locating the individuals responsible for this horrific act,” the post continued.

Roscoe Brown, who works for Stockton’s Office of Violence Prevention, told The Associated Press that the party was being held in honour of his brother’s granddaughter’s second birthday. She was uninjured in the attack.

Brown was in Arizona when he learned about the shooting and drove straight to the scene. He said a niece and nephew of his were shot, and that he knows several other victims. He didn’t have information about their conditions.

“Who would come and do that to some kids, you know?” Brown told The Associated Press following a vigil organized by faith leaders to honour the dead and pray for the wounded.

“You can’t shoot up a party. That’s senseless. A kid’s party, at that,” he added.

View image in full screen Community members gather at a vigil in Stockton, Calif., on Nov. 30, 2025, to mourn four people killed in a mass shooting the night before. Eleven others were also injured. Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via ZUMA Press Wire

District Attorney Ron Freitas urged the shooter to “turn yourself in immediately.”

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“When this individual is caught, you have my promise that you will have the full force of my office’s resources in holding this individual fully accountable … Children should not be harmed by gun or gang violence,” Freitas added.

“When this individual is caught, you have my promise that you will have the full force of my office’s resources in holding this individual fully accountable.. children should not be harmed by gun or gang violence.” -San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas #Stockton pic.twitter.com/QwycrcKp1O

— San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office (@sjcda_media) November 30, 2025

Hours after the shooting, the Stockton Police Department arrested five people, including a juvenile, on weapons and gang-related charges. There was no indication that the arrests were connected to the killings at the banquet hall, the sheriff said.

Mayor Christina Fugazi told reporters that the eight-year-old victim attended a local school and had a parent who worked for the Stockton Unified School District. The mayor said counsellors would be available this week at city schools.

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“They should be writing their Christmas lists right now. Their parents should be out shopping for them for Christmas. And to think that their lives are over. I can’t even begin to imagine what these families are going through. Breaks my heart,” Fugazi said on Sunday.

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Fugazi said that the shooting was the result of “group gang violence,” KCRA of Sacramento reported.

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But Withrow said, “As far the mayor’s comments, I’m sure she was well intentioned on that, but at this time our investigation, as you know, is very early on so we are not going to say one thing or specifically another until we’ve gone through all our evidence and know exactly that we’re giving you exactly the facts of what occurred there.”

“We’re not going to make a statement like that. We’re going to say that we’re confident that this was not a random act. They walked into this area and was probably looking for somebody in particular. Why they did that, what they’re part of, who they are, we don’t know,” he continued.

“But this was not somebody who was unacquainted with them. We don’t believe it was something where the rest of the public has to fear,” Withrow added.

Withrow said that it wasn’t “some type of terrorist type attack where they walked in and just wanted to kill people.”

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“We’re not going to say if it was gang-related or not until we have all the facts in front of us,” he said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday that the attack “was likely targeted.”

“Our hearts break for their families and the entire Stockton community,” he wrote.

Today, local authorities confirmed the victims of the Stockton shooting were just 8, 9, 14, and 21 years old — and that the attack was likely targeted. Our hearts break for their families and the entire Stockton community.

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) November 30, 2025

Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee spoke out about the mass shooting

“There are a lot of us here who have people who we’ve lost over the years. But what I will say to the people that did this is it’s never been gangster to kill kids, never,” Lee said to the crowd at the vigil.

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“You went in a birthday party and shot people’s children. Parents brought their children out and they left with medical examiners. That is not human.”

“And I will say to those who are thinking of retaliation, when my brother got murdered, I thought about it too. It’s human to want to hurt people who hurt people you love. But I had a choice to make, and I hope that the people out there in our community make the right choice and contact law enforcement, call me and call the mayor. Call whoever you know,” Lee added.

In an Instagram post, Fugazi shared that Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information “leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved.”

“I am matching that with another $10,000, and with a $5,000 contribution from Councilwoman Mariela Ponce,” Fugazi wrote. “The total bounty now stands at $25,000.”

View this post on Instagram

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The investigation is ongoing.

— With files from The Associated Press