Tue Dec 02 06:50:00 UTC 2025: Summary:

A mass shooting at a two-year-old’s birthday party in Stockton, California, has left four dead, including 14-year-old Amari Peterson and two younger children, ages 8 and 9. Amari’s father witnessed the shooting and believes the gunman was targeting a rapper attending the party. Amari’s family is devastated, remembering him as a vibrant and athletic young man. A community leader and violence reduction advocate was also injured. Authorities are actively investigating the incident, with the FBI offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Former Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs emphasizes the community-wide impact of the tragedy. The governor has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff, and the birthday party host has expressed remorse for the event that turned deadly.

News Article:

Stockton Mourns After Mass Shooting at Birthday Party Claims Four Lives, Including Teen

STOCKTON, Calif. – A 14-year-old boy is among four killed in a mass shooting that erupted at a two-year-old’s birthday party in Stockton Saturday night. Amari Peterson, described by his family as a vibrant and athletic 8th grader, was attending the party with his parents and siblings when gunfire shattered the celebration.

According to Amari’s father, Patrick Peterson, the shooting appeared to be targeted, with the gunman allegedly aiming for a rapper who was present at the gathering. He described a scene of chaos as shots rang out, sending attendees scrambling for safety. Amari was struck in the chest and later died at the hospital despite his father’s attempts to administer CPR.

“My son…he was full of life, laughter. The glue to our family,” said Kimberly Peterson, Amari’s mother. The other fatalities included two children, ages 8 and 9, and a 21-year-old.

A bullet grazed Amari’s 12-year-old sister, Kaesanii, who fled the scene through a back door.

Former Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs confirmed that one of the 11 injured, Jasmine Dellafosse, is a community leader focused on reducing violence. Tubbs emphasized the need for the community to treat the shooting with seriousness, adding that this could have been any of us.

The Stockton Police Department is actively investigating the shooting, and it’s unclear if multiple shooters were involved.

“It’s not just a problem concentrated in bad people, but it’s a problem that the whole community will be impacted by and that’s why we have to treat it with seriousness, because any one of us could have been at a two-year-old’s birthday party.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered flags at the State Capitol to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s). Anyone with information is urged to contact the authorities.

A family member of the two year old offered an apology, saying she just started cutting the cake when the shots rang out.

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