File photo. Photo: AFP / Andri Tambunan
A mass shooting at a family gathering inside a banquet hall in Stockton, California, left at least four people dead and 10 others wounded Saturday evening, officials said.
Children and adults were among those shot, according to Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office. Officials did not immediately release the conditions of those taken to area hospitals.
"Early indications suggest this may have been a targeted incident," Brent said at a news conference. "This is a very active and ongoing investigation, and information remains limited," she said.
The shooting occurred just before 6 p.m. in the northern part of the city, according to the sheriff's office. The banquet hall, which shares a parking lot with several businesses, including a Dairy Queen, was hosting the family celebration, Brent said. Stockton is about 40 miles south of Sacramento.
Stockton, California, is east of San Francisco and south of Sacramento. Photo: Google maps
The suspected shooter fled and remains at large, Brent said. Officials are urging the public for help with information as detectives work to determine a possible motive. "Investigators are exploring all possibilities," Brent said.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation.
The violence adds Stockton to a growing list of American communities whose everyday spaces - schools, shopping centers, bars and office buildings - have experienced gun violence. There have been at least 380 mass shootings in the US so far this year - defined as when at least four people are shot, not including the shooter - according to the Gun Violence Archive.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the shooting, according to his office. Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi said in a statement that the governor has "offered the full support of the state of California" to assist the community.
"Tonight our city is facing a heartbreaking and painful situation," Fugazi wrote. "Please keep the victims, their loved ones, and our first responders in your prayers."
- CNN
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