Grief In California: Family Party Turns Stabbing, 4 People Killed

Illustrations in California (BB screenshot)

JAKARTA - At least four people died in a mass shooting incident at a family event in Stockton, California, Saturday local time. In addition to the death toll, ten others were injured.

Local police said the victims included adults and children. However, the condition of the injured victims has not been confirmed.

Until now, the perpetrator is still at large. Police suspect the shooting was a "targeted" attack.

Stockton Deputy Mayor Jason Lee previously said the incident occurred during a child's birthday party. However, the police have not confirmed the type of event, apart from confirming that it is a family event.

"The birthday party shouldn't be a place where families are afraid of losing their lives," Jason Lee wrote in a post on social media quoted from the BBC, Sunday, November 30.

San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said the shooting took place around 18.00 local time. It asked residents with information, video footage, or saw the incident to report to the authorities.

sheriff's spokeswoman, Heather Brent, called the incident something "unreasonable".

"This is a very active and ongoing investigation. The information is still very limited," he said. "Initial indications suggest this may be a directed incident, and investigators are still investigating all possibilities."

The Mayor of Stockton, Christina Fugazi, called the shooting an "unacceptable" incident.

"Families should gather together, not be in the hospital accompanying their loved ones while praying for safety," he said.

California is known to have strict firearms possession laws, although it has recently faced a number of legal challenges.

In 2021, a federal judge overturned the state's ban on assault weapons. A year later, the US Supreme Court expanded its gun ownership rights and overturned regulations on licensing permits for weapons in New York, which could impact similar regulations in California.