In a grim turn of events, Stockton witnessed its first reported homicide of 2024, leaving a 20-year-old man dead in a South Stockton neighborhood that has sadly become no stranger to such tragic incidents.
The San Joaquin County medical examiner had not released the victim's name as of the Monday deadline, but Stockton police reported that the young man was likely killed shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The incident unfolded near 1500 Julian Street, positioned between East Ninth and Tenth streets in south Stockton, when a 911 caller reported a shooting.
Responding to the scene, police discovered three individuals aged 20, 19, and 17, all suffering from gunshot wounds. The 20-year-old victim succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, while the 19- and 17-year-old boys are expected to survive.
Stockton police have not provided any details regarding potential suspects or motives in the shooting, leaving the community in a state of uncertainty.
Tragically, the South Stockton neighborhood has seen a distressing pattern of violence within the past year. Six reported homicides have occurred within a less than half-square-mile radius, situated between Williams Brotherhood Park and Van Buren Elementary School, near Airport Way in southeast Stockton.
The string of killings commenced near Southside Market on March 4, with the deaths of 29-year-old Jacob Haywood Thomas and 24-year-old Andrea Lee Jones. On March 17, Justin Schenk, 17, and Omar Rincon, 20, lost their lives near Van Buren Elementary, accompanied by injuries to a 19-year-old.
The neighborhood's troubled timeline continued in May, with a fatal shooting during a sideshow near Nena's on B Street, as reported by the sheriff's office. September brought further sorrow when James Collins, 40, was found shot in a vehicle near Ninth and Anne Streets, according to the police.
Saturday's tragic shooting unfolded just 27 hours after daytime gunfire injured two individuals at West Lane Plaza in north Stockton, highlighting the pervasive issue of gun violence across different parts of the city.
Based on a article from Record reporter Aaron Leathley.