Three children aged 8, 9 and 14 among four dead after mass-shooting at California birthday party

Three children were among those killed when an unidentified gunman opened fire at a birthday party in California in what authorities have called a 'targeted' attack.

The tragic shooting broke out at a banquet hall at around 6pm on Saturday night in Stockton, where at least 100 people were gathered.

Children ages eight, nine and 14, were killed in the horrific shooting, as was a 21 year old, Heather Brent, a spokeswoman for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office announced Sunday.

Eleven others were wounded.

Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi broke down in tears on Sunday as she announced the children's deaths.

'They should be writing their Christmas lists right now. Their parents should be out shopping for them for Christmas,' she said. 'And to think that their lives are over. I can't even begin to imagine what these families are going through. Breaks my heart.'

She went on to say that the eight-year-old victim attended a local school and had a parent who worked for the Stockton Unified School District.

Counselors will now be made available this week at city schools, the mayor said as she declared: 'Stockton is better than this.'

When the shooting broke out Saturday night, the sheriff's office was inundated with calls reporting a shooting and saying children as young as nine were bleeding - and that a 15-year-old boy was not breathing, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Deputies then responded to the banquet hall near a Dairy Queen and found shooting victims in the parking lot while many others panicked and screamed.

Video from the scene showed a massive police presence as both paramedics and bystanders tended to the wounded.

Witnesses at the scene then told authorities they saw a lone gunman, who was about five-foot-six-inches wearing black pants, according to police dispatches.

Authorities say they believe the attack was 'targeted' - and suggested that gang violence was involved.

Fugazi even speculated that the target of the shooting could be a rapper by the name of MBnel as she called the shooting an act of terrorism.

Police are now offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.

'Finding the person or persons who committed this crime is the No. 1 priority,' Brent said.

'This was a birthday party for a young child, and the fact that this happened is absolutely heartbreaking.'

'If you have surveillance footage, if you´re a local business here, if you´re in the area, live in the area, or maybe you´ve heard rumors - please contact the sheriff´s office,' she pleaded.

Meanwhile, District Attorney Ron Freitas urged the shooter to 'turn yourself in immediately.'

Faith leaders in Stockton were planning an afternoon vigil to honor the dead and pray for the wounded.

In 2024, Stockton had many more homicides - 54 - than other California cities of similar size, but the rate was down through October of this year, according to city data.

Fugazi on Saturday recalled a shooting several years ago in which 'seven people were gunned down' in the city.

'Stockton is better than this. ... Families should be together instead of at the hospital, standing next to their loved one, praying that they survive,' Fugazi said.