Stockton Shooting Kills 4 at Childs Party, 17th Mass Killing of 2025

A shooting at a child's birthday party in Stockton, California, on Saturday night left four people dead and 11 others wounded, marking the 17th mass killing in the United States this year. The victims included three children, ages 8, 9 and 14, along with a 21-year-old adult, authorities reported. The incident occurred at a banquet hall and fits the definition of a mass killing as an event in which four or more people are fatally shot within a 24-hour period, excluding the perpetrator.

This latest tragedy brings the total number of deaths from mass killings in 2025 to at least 81. Of the 17 recorded incidents so far, 14 involved firearms, continuing a pattern where shootings account for the majority of such events. Since tracking began in 2006, more than 3,234 people have died in mass killings nationwide, with about 81 percent of those fatalities resulting from gunfire.

The reduced count for 2025 represents the lowest annual total since 2006, a notable decline from recent years. In 2024, there were approximately 24 percent more mass killings than this year, following a 20 percent drop from 2023. Last year alone saw at least 38 such incidents, resulting in 165 deaths.