Children are among the victims of a mass shooting at a kid’s birthday party in California, police have confirmed.
Four people were killed and ten others wounded when gunfire erupted at a banquet hall in Stockton, about 60 miles east of San Francisco, on Saturday evening.
Officers were called to Lucile Avenue just before 6pm local time (2am UK time). San Joaquin County district attorney Ron Freitas said children were among the dead, while the attacker remained at large.
“We can confirm at this time that approximately 14 individuals were struck by gunfire, and four victims have been confirmed deceased,” the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said on X.
The department said early indications suggest it may have been a “targeted incident”, though information remains limited.
Stockton’s vice mayor, Jason Lee, confirmed on Facebook that the shooting had taken place at a child’s birthday party.
Mayor Christina Fugazzi said: “Families should be together instead of at the hospital, standing next to their loved one, praying that they survive.”
California governor Gavin Newsom’s office said he had been briefed on the “horrific shooting”.
