Four people were killed and 10 others were hospitalized with injuries after a shooting at a California banquet hall where a family was hosting a celebration Saturday night, authorities said.
Gunfire erupted shortly before 6 p.m. at the location in the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue in the city of Stockton, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Heather Brent said at the scene.
Brent characterized the event as a family celebration. Jason Lee, deputy mayor of Stockton, said in a statement that the violence broke out at a children’s birthday party.
Brent said the victims included children and adults.
“It’s incomprehensible that there were young children who were harmed,” he said.
The exact conditions, ages and genders of the victims were not available, and sheriff’s investigators were working to identify the gunman, the sheriff’s spokesman said.
“This may be a targeted incident,” Brent said. “Our number one priority at this time is to identify the suspect in this incident.”
It was unclear whether the shots originated inside or outside the banquet hall, he said. The FBI, Stockon police and other law enforcement agencies were assisting with the investigation, Brent said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said on
