STOCKTON, Calif. — A toddler’s birthday party at a banquet hall just outside Stockton turned into a mass shooting on the evening of Nov. 29, 2025, killing four people — three of them children — and wounding more than a dozen others.
About 80 to 100 relatives and friends had gathered at Monkey Space, an event venue on Lucile Avenue in unincorporated San Joaquin County, to celebrate a 2-year-old girl’s birthday. Guests were near the cake and dinner when gunfire erupted inside the hall shortly before 6 p.m. Witnesses later said the first shots sounded like balloons popping. People ran for cover, shielded children, and fled into the parking lot and nearby streets as the shooting continued outside.
San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies arrived within minutes after multiple 911 calls reported gunfire and injured children. Four people were pronounced dead: Maya Lupian, 8; Journey Rose Reotutar Guerrero, 8; Amari Peterson, 14; and Susano Archuleta, 21. At least 11 others were shot, with some reports putting the injured at 13. At least one victim was in critical condition in the hours after the attack. The birthday girl was not hurt.
Sheriff Patrick Withrow said the shooting did not appear random. Investigators believe the attackers entered looking for specific people. Officials have said gang members and at least one local rapper were among those at the party, and they have examined possible gang ties, though no motive has been publicly confirmed. Evidence collected at the scene included more than 50 shell casings and indications that at least five firearms were used. Authorities have said multiple masked shooters may have been involved. No arrests have been announced.
The FBI, ATF, and Stockton police have assisted the sheriff’s investigation. A reward for information later rose to $130,000. Officials have asked anyone with video, photos, or other details to come forward, saying even small observations could help reconstruct the timeline and identify those responsible.
Families returned the next day to a hall still marked by the chaos: party decorations mixed with blood, belongings left behind, and a space that hours earlier had held a bouncy house and children in dress clothes. Relatives described searching for children in the dark, performing first aid, and trying to understand how a celebration became a crime scene. Parents of the children who died spoke of lost school days, sports, and birthdays that will never come. Amari Peterson’s father said the loss left him “questioning everything about life.” Maya Lupian’s family said she should have been preparing to turn 9. Archuleta’s relatives said he tried to protect others when the shooting started.
The attack stunned a city long familiar with gang violence but unprepared for gunfire at a 2-year-old’s party. Local officials called it a different kind of blow than street homicides. Counselors, churches, and community groups offered support to survivors and witnesses. For the families of the dead, the immediate work has been burial, grief, and waiting for answers that, months later, have still not produced public arrests.
Investigators continue to review surveillance video, witness accounts, and physical evidence to determine how many people fired, who was targeted, and whether an earlier dispute played a role. Until those questions are answered, Stockton is left with the image of a birthday gathering that ended in four funerals and a community still asking how the night unfolded.
