California, massacre at birthday party: 4 dead and 10 injured, including children

At least four people were killed and ten others wounded, including several juveniles, in a shooting that occurred last night at a party venue in Stockton, California, over the Thanksgiving weekend, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office announced.

According to authorities,the shots were fired shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday 29 November in a banquet hall in the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue, during a family gathering that several local media described as a child's birthday party. The sheriff's office specified in a statement that 'approximately 14 people were hit by the bullets' and that four of them died, while ten were injured and transported to area hospitals.The victims include both adults and minors, confirmed office spokeswoman Heather Brent, speaking to reporters on Saturday night.

Investigators explained that information "is extremely limited" and that the crime scene remains "very active", with officers working to reconstruct the dynamics inside and outside the premises, which shares a large car park with other businesses. In an update posted on social media, the sheriff added that"early indications suggest that this may have been a targeted incident", while stressing that all scenarios remain open and that "all possibilities are being explored". No arrests have been made so far: the suspect, or suspects, are still on the run, and the authorities have appealed to the population to provide any videos or useful testimony.

San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas showed up at the scene in the hours after the shooting, calling the incident 'a devastating tragedy' and directly calling on the perpetrator to turn himself in. "Whatever happened here, you cannot run from your responsibilities forever, he said in front of the cameras. The mayor of Stockton, Christina Fugazi, spoke of "an event designed to celebrate a child and family turned into a scene of fear and mourning," while Deputy Mayor Jason Lee, in a Facebook post, wrote that "an ice cream parlour and party room should never be places where families fear for their lives," pointing out the presence of children among the victims and injured.

The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, let it be known through his office that he was 'in contact with local authorities and closely monitoring the situation', offering investigative assistance and support to the affected families. Several hospitals in the area have confirmed that they have received the injured: for some of them the prognosis has not yet been made known and the authorities have not released the identity of the victims pending notification of all relatives. The banquet hall and surrounding area remained cordoned off throughout the night and much of Sunday, while the forensic unit collected shell casings and analysed blood traces and possible bullet holes in walls and parked cars.