Tragedy Shakes the Stockton Community
Photo by Unsplash
A heartbreak to the community after a mass shooting at a birthday party leaves several injured and killed
What was seemingly a normal night erupted into violence after a deadly mass shooting caused over a dozen injuries and four deaths. This incident occurred on November 29 at a banquet hall by Lucile Avenue. The event going on prior to the shooting was a birthday party for a two-year-old, for which over 100 people were in attendance.
According to KCRA, the identity of the four people that were fatally shot were revealed by the victims’ family members. The ages of the individuals killed were two 8-year-old girls, a 14-year-old boy, and a 21-year-old male. In a truly gut-wrenching scene, the lives lost in this terrible incident were predominantly children. The other victims that sustained injuries are yet to be concisely identified as authorities plead for any witnesses and scattered victims to come forward with any information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
The four victims killed each had their lives violently taken from them despite each of them being innocent, kindhearted individuals. According to her verified GoFundMe page, Journey Rose, 8, was a third grader at Commodore Stockton Skills School. She enjoyed art, baking, crafting, and gymnastics. She excelled in school and wanted to be a doctor like her older sister. Maya Lupian, 8, went to Aspire APEX Academy, according to her GoFundMe. She also excelled in academics and extracurriculars and loved to dance, sing, and draw. Amari Peterson, 14, was a football and basketball player who had started to look into his college of choice. The fourth victim killed, Susano Archuleta, 21, died bravely trying to protect attendees. Witnesses reported that he helped protect children and his girlfriend by placing them inside a closet to shield them from the gunfire. The tragedy is truly rooted in the fact each of these individuals had their own stories, interests, and passions, yet got their lives cut short. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The day after the shooting, hundreds came together to hold a vigil to mourn the victims and share collective compassion. According to the Sacramento Bee, the vigil was organized by the Faith in the Valley, a group which advocates for public safety and criminal justice reform, and welcomed people from all faiths and denominations to attend. The scene was filled with attendees with warm clothes as the cold weather and clouds covered the sky. Attendees brought flowers and candles and shared a moment of silence. Pastors from the local community churches turned out to speak out against the violence and lead prayers.
As of now, there is no clear motive that has been identified for why the shooting occurred, but there are speculations. City leaders and investigators have labeled the shooting to be a targeted, gang-related attack. That speculation stems from the attendance of two local rappers that were at the party and rumors of other guests having possible gang ties. Although the details are still coming out and being heavily investigated, this shooting has left the community reeling in loss and anguish.
The mass shooting attracted coverage across the state as Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his sympathy to Stockton by ordering the Capitol’s flags to be flown at half-staff, in honor of the children killed and solidarity to the community.
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi made several remarks and extended her empathy to the victims’ families and the community as a whole. According to a KCRA article on the mayor’s statement, she said what happened was “unacceptable” and that Stockton is “better than this.” While this was meant to be a peaceful Thanksgiving weekend with activities for community bonding, it turned into a traumatic event that deeply affected Stockton. The mayor recognizes this and vows that the shooters will be held accountable for their actions.
A manhunt is underway to find the gunmen responsible for the mass shooting. The bounty for the killers stands at $130,000, contributions were made by several donors such as Mayor Fugazi, City Councilwoman Mariela Ponce, Grammy Award-winning singer Burna Boy, Crime Stoppers, the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, and the FBI Sacramento division.
Although Stockton locals are aware that gun and gang violence in the city is nothing new, this mass shooting shook the very core of the community. Every victim killed in a shooting is a life ended prematurely, a tragic loss to the world as a whole. The trauma will scar the memories of the families and people that were injured for the rest of their lives as they try to adjust to a life that was upended. Yet, Stockton has an enduring resilience that continues to push past its stigma of being a city of violence. When tragedy strikes, members of the community come together to grieve, mourn, and share their empathy to those affected.
Although this is still a developing story, the killers behind this mass shooting cannot hide forever. Those responsible for taking the lives of innocent, young people, and instilling fear into the community will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
Sources:
https://www.kcra.com/article/stockton-mass-shooting-birthday-party-updates-december-2/69607159
https://www.kcra.com/article/mayor-christina-fugazi-stockton-press-conference/69584967