8-year-old killed in Stockton birthday party shooting identified
8-year-old girl killed in Stockton birthday party mass shooting ID'd
Maya Lupian, 8, was identified as the youngest victim killed in the mass shooting at a kid's birthday party near Stockton.
STOCKTON, Calif. - A toddler’s birthday party at a Stockton banquet hall over the weekend ended in chaos after a burst of gunfire, leaving three children and an adult dead.
Maya Lupian, 8, and 14-year-old Amari Peterson were among the victims. A 9-year-old and a 21-year-old were also killed in Saturday’s mass shooting, which was attended by at least 100 people, according to San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow.
Remembering 8-year-old Maya Lupian
What we know:
Maya was a third-grader at Aspire APEX Academy, the school confirmed.
"Maya was the most outgoing 8-year-old you'd ever meet," her family said in a statement shared with the public. "She loved to dance, sing and draw. She was a purple belt in karate, and she loved being active. Maya was the light in everyone's life, the sweetest soul."
She leaves behind her parents and two older brothers. A GoFundMe page was created to support the family.
"She deserved a childhood full of laughter, school days, karate, family time and dreams... not this," the fundraiser read. "We would have been celebrating her 9th birthday in just 2 weeks on December 13th. We are devastated, heartbroken and trying to navigate the impossible."
Maya was in attendance at the birthday party.
Parents grieve the loss of their 14-yr-old son shot & killed at Stockton birthday party
The father of the 14-year-old boy shot and killed along with 3 others describe his shock over his son's death and the chaotic scene he witnessed.
Family of 14-year-old Amari Peterson grieves loss
What they're saying:
Amari Peterson was also at the celebration with his parents and three siblings when the shooting began.
"My son…he was full of life, laughter. The glue to our family," said his mother, Kimberly Peterson.
"I feel so bad I wasn’t able to save him," said his father, Patrick Peterson, who described witnessing a gunman wearing a face mask fire multiple rounds toward the area where Amari had been standing. He believes the shooter may have been targeting a rapper who was at the event.
Peterson said he grabbed his 1-year-old daughter and ran toward Amari, finding him shot once in the chest.
"He was just gasping for air, he was just trying to breathe…me…trying not to panic," said Peterson.
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14-year-old Amari Peterson's life was cut short on Saturday. He was one of the four victims killed in the Stockton shooting at a two-year-old's birthday party over the weekend.
Peterson performed CPR until medics arrived. Amari died at the hospital.
The family described the eighth-grader as outgoing and athletic.
"For my son to only be 14 and lose his life… We were planning for where he was going to go to high school. Now we're planning his funeral," said Kimberly Peterson.
Amari’s 12-year-old sister, Kaesanii, was grazed by a bullet and escaped through a back door.
The family has launched an online fundraiser to help with expenses as they struggle to come to terms with Amari's sudden death.
"I just want my son back," said Kimberly Peterson.
Party host describes chaos
The backstory:
Patrice Williams told the Associated Press that the party was for her daughter. The shooting broke out as guests gathered to cut the cake.
"I actually thought it was my balloons popping. It was gunshots," Williams said.
She said people dropped to the floor as the shots rang out.
"It was just unexpected. I don’t know what happened, and I’m just so shocked and lost," Williams said.
She expressed remorse for the mothers who lost their children.
Williams said she didn’t get a look at the shooter and has no idea who would commit violence at what was supposed to be a joyous event.
"They deserve to be in jail. They deserve to go to hell," Williams said. "I’m sorry, but I just ... it’s not respectable. It’s a kids’ party."
Emmanuel Lopez told the Los Angeles Times his brother, 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, was shot in the neck and died at the scene. Lopez said his 9-year-old daughter was shot in the head but survived. He did not share details about what led up to the shooting.
In total, 11 people were wounded, Sheriff Withrow said. No arrests have been made.
'Targeted' shooting
What you can do:
Sheriff’s officials are urging anyone with information to come forward.
"This is a time for our community to show that we will not put up with this type of behavior, when people will just walk in and kill children," Withrow said Sunday evening. "And so if you know anything about this, you have to come forward and tell us what you know. If not, you just become complacent and think this is acceptable behavior."
Sheriff’s spokesperson Heather Brent said investigators believe the shooting was a "targeted incident" but did not elaborate.
Violence in Stockton
Stockton is a city of 320,000 residents about 80 miles east of San Francisco. Stockton saw 3,680 violent crimes in 2024, at a rate more than double the statewide rate, according to city and state data. Violent crime includes homicide, rape, assault and robbery. The San Joaquin Valley, where Stockton is located, had the highest violent crime rate in the state in 2023, according to data from the Public Policy Institute of California.
Sophie Austin and Christopher Weber of the Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Source: Information for this story comes from the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, interviews, the Associated Press, along with previous reporting.