At least four people have died in a mass shooting in a family reunion in California, authorities say.
Ten other people were injured in the shooting that occurred Saturday night at a restaurant in the northern city of Stockton.
Local police say the victims include both adults and children. The conditions of the injured have not been confirmed.
A suspect remains at large and police believe the shooting may have been “targeted.”
The city’s deputy mayor had previously said that the shooting had occurred “at a children’s birthday party.” Police have not confirmed the type of event at which the shooting occurred, other than that it was a family gathering.
“[A] The birthday party should never be a place where families fear for their lives,” Vice Mayor Jason Lee wrote on social media.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting occurred shortly before 6:00 p.m. local time (02:00 GMT Sunday) and is appealing to anyone who has “information, video footage, or who witnessed any part of the incident” to come forward.
Spokeswoman Heather Brent described the incident as “unfathomable” and added: “This is a very active and ongoing investigation, and information remains limited.”
“Early indications suggest this may be a targeted incident and investigators are exploring all possibilities.”
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi called the shooting “unacceptable.”
“Families should be together instead of in the hospital, standing next to their loved ones, praying that they survive.”
California has some of the strictest gun laws in the U.S. and has faced challenges in recent years.
In 2021, a federal judge struck down the state’s ban on assault weapons, such as the AR-15 rifle.
The following year, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the right to bear arms by striking down a New York law that restricted the right to bear arms, jeopardizing similar regulation in California.
