A mother who organized her daughter’s second birthday party apologized to grieving families after gunmen allegedly opened fire Saturday night, killing four people and injuring 11 others.
“I just want to say I’m sorry to all the mothers out there that lost their kids at my birthday party,” said Patrice Williams, who planned the celebration at a Stockton banquet hall.
The victims were 8, 9, 14 and 21-years-old, NBC News reported, citing the local sheriff. At least one person remained in critical condition Sunday.
Williams said guests had gathered around the cake when shots rang out. “All we heard was gunshots, and everybody just dove to the ground. It was just unexpected,” she said. (RELATED: Multiple Guests At Child’s Birthday Party Seriously And Critically Injured In Maryland Auto Collision)
NEW: Mother who hosted the birthday party in Stockton, California, breaks down in tears while recounting the shooting that took the lives of four people.
“My sister got shot. My cousin got shot. My son’s friend got shot. Three of my friends got shot.”
3 children and 1 adult… pic.twitter.com/Jvt7BgG8qV
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 2, 2025
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow condemned the attack at a Sunday news conference. “These animals walked in and shot children at a children’s birthday party, and none of us should stand for that,” Withrow said.
Authorities believe multiple shooters carried out the attack shortly before 6 p.m. at a banquet hall on Lucile Avenue. The FBI joined the investigation and is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, according to a FBI Sacramento social media post.
“We’re confident that this was not a random act. They walked into this area probably looking for someone in particular,” Withrow said.
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi told local outlet KCRA 3 that the shooting was “group gang violence,” though Withrow said it remains too early to confirm gang involvement, NBC News reported.
Vice Mayor Jason Lee expressed outrage at the violence. “That is not human,” Lee said.
Williams directed her anger at the shooters, CNN reported. “They deserve to be in jail. They deserve to go to hell,” she said.
“It’s a kids’ party,” she added.
The Stockton Police Department arrested five individuals after the shooting, according to a Facebook post. Withrow said it is unclear if the suspects are linked to the banquet hall shooting, NBC News reported.