Vigil Planned For Girl, 3, Shot And Killed In Stockton
STOCKTON (CBS13) - A deadly drive-by shooting in south Stockton left a three-year-old dead on Sunday night and a family grieving. Stockton Police Department is now asking the public for help and offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to an arrest in the case.
The Stockton Police Department is now asking the public's for help and offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to an arrest in the case.
"So innocent, three years old," said a neighbor named Cynthia, who asked that CBS13 only use her first name. "It's just crazy."
She was inside of her home when she thought she heard fireworks. She soon realized they were gunshots.
"Two guns going off at the same time," Cynthia said. "Six shots, pop, pop, pop, pop!"
One of those shots hit a three-year-old girl. She was sitting in the back seat of her family's Nissan as they were driving near Commerce Street and Jefferson Street. Suddenly, gunshots went off and when her family members looked back to check on her, they realized that she had been shot. They rushed to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
"What occurred on this street last night was a senseless act of violence committed by cowards by guns," said Officer Joe Silva with the Stockton Police Department.
Right now, investigators don't have a motive or suspects, but they do believe several shots were fired on Sunday night after finding multiple shell casings in the area. Detectives believe the girl was shot at least once but don't believe she was the target.
"Anytime there's a loss of life, that's a tragedy," Silva said. "But when it involves a three-year-old little girl, that hits home to us at the police department."
Officer Silva couldn't say if the murder was gang-related, but neighbor Cynthia said this was not the first time she had heard shots in her neighborhood.
"For the last month, at least 2 to 3 times a week," she told CBS13.
And in her opinion, it's up to her fellow neighbors to save their community from violence.
"Get involved, get involved!" She said. "That's the only way we're going to take it back, get involved."
Police have not yet released the identity of the three-year-old girl. A vigil is planned to mourn the girl on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at MLK Park near City Hall.
