Family mourns 14-year-old killed in Stockton shooting
14-year-old Amari Petersons life was cut short on Saturday. He was one of the four victims killed in the Stockton shooting at a two-year-olds birthday party over the weekend. His father said the shooter was aiming for a rapper in attendance at the party. Officials are still investigating the shooting as the manhunt for a shooter continues.
STOCKTON, Calif. – 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.
He was attending a family friend’s festivities with his parents and his three siblings when violence erupted.
“My son…he was full of life, laughter. The glue to our family,” said Kimberly Peterson, Amari’s mother.
The other children who were killed were eight and nine years old. A 21-year-old was also killed in the attack at a banquet hall where gunfire erupted.
“I feel so bad I wasn’t able to save him,” said Patrick Peterson, the boy’s father.
Amari Peterson, 14-year-old victim of the Stockton mass shooting in Nov. 2025.
The father says he’s struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of his son.
“I just want my son back,” said the boy’s mother.
Amari Peterson, 14-year-old victim of the Stockton mass shooting in Nov. 2025.
Patrick says his son left his side momentarily to go meet a rapper who was at the gathering and then suddenly shots rang out.
“It was like pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” said the boy’s father. “I’m standing there for a second and starting…looking around.” He said he saw a lone gunman with a face mask on firing multiple shot in the direction where his son was gathered with other people. He said it appeared the shooter was aiming for the rapper.
“He started letting off shots and people were scrambling and falling, getting out of the way,” said Patrick.
He said he grabbed his one-year-old daughter as he was trying to make his way to Amari. He found his son shot once in the chest.
“He was just gasping for air, he was just trying to breathe…me…trying not to panic,” said Patrick.
He ended up doing CPR on his son before medics arrived and eventually took over.
Amari died at the hospital.
Bright future
The family is devastated at their loss. They say Amari was outgoing and athletic. He was in the 8th grade. His mom says Amari had a bright future ahead of him.
“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.
Amari’s 12-year-old sister, Kaesanii, showed where a bullet grazed her arm. She ran from the shooting and fled out a back door.
The family has started an online fundraiser to help with expenses.
Amari Peterson, 14-year-old victim of the Stockton mass shooting in Nov. 2025.
Other victims
What they’re saying:
On Monday, we heard from former Stockton mayor, Michael Tubbs, a close friend of one of the 11 victims injured in Saturday’s shooting.
Jasmine Dellafosse is still in the hospital, but her injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Amari Peterson, 14-year-old victim of the Stockton mass shooting in Nov. 2025 and his family.
Tubbs described her as a community leader, focused on reducing violence in the city. He says her impact on the city is great and that she’s even depicted on a mural in the city, alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“This is a community problem,” said Tubbs. “It’s not just a problem concentrated in bad people, but it’s a problem that the whole community will be impacted by and that’s why we have to treat it with seriousness, because any one of us could have been at a two-year-old’s birthday party.”
Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered flags at the State Capitol to fly at half staff in honor of the victims.
Manhunt intensifies
The manhunt has intensified for the suspects in Saturday’s shooting. Detectives say it’s unclear who the target was, and they’re investigating whether multiple shooters were involved.
Family of Amari Peterson, 14-year-old victim of the Stockton mass shooting in Nov. 2025.
An apology
The mother of the two-year-old who hosted the birthday party expressed heartbreak and apologized to the families affected. Patrice Williams said she just started cutting the birthday cake when gunshots rang out. “Everybody just dove to the ground,” she said. “I just really want to say I’m sorry to all the mothers out there that lost their kids at my birthday party.”
Stockton’s mayor said the shooting could be gang-related, but the sheriff’s office said it’s too early to know for certain.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction of a suspect.
CaliforniaCrime and Public Safety
