First child victim of Stockton birthday party mass shooting ID’d as Amari Peterson: ‘My baby was innocent’.q

Amari Peterson was just fourteen years old.
He had the bright eyes of a boy who loved life, who laughed easily and played sports with a heart full of joy.
Basketball and football were his passions, and he carried himself with the quiet confidence of a boy who knew he was loved.

On the evening of November 29, Amari was attending a birthday party at a banquet hall in Stockton.
It was meant to be a night of celebration, a simple gathering of children and families, full of laughter, balloons, and the smell of cake.
No one expected what would happen next.

Gunfire erupted.
Bullets tore through the air, shattering the illusion of safety.
Four lives were taken in an instant.
Among them was Amari.
An 8-year-old child and a 9-year-old child, innocent and full of dreams, also lost their lives.
A 21-year-old man, there to celebrate a friend’s child, was also killed.

The chaos left eleven others wounded.
Parents screamed. Children cried. Friends ran.
Neighbors recounted hearing rounds after rounds of gunfire, the sound echoing like thunder through the streets.
A woman ran screaming, calling out, “My baby! My baby! My baby!”

Kim Peterson, Amari’s mother, was left in a state of unimaginable grief.
“My baby was innocent,” she said through tears.
“We were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Who would have known my baby wasn’t gonna come home with me?”
Her voice trembled with heartbreak.
She described Amari as loving, caring, a boy who wanted only to enjoy life and be around people he loved.

Friends, neighbors, and even strangers began to mourn him.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help Amari’s family pay for his funeral.
Flowers and messages piled up outside the banquet hall.
Each note told a story, a memory of the boy who had touched lives with a simple smile, a playful joke, or a kind word.

The city of Stockton, home to nearly 320,000 people, has long struggled with violence.
In 2024, Stockton had the second-highest murder rate in California, only behind Oakland.
There were fifty-one homicides that year, with violent crime spreading through the city like an unchecked fire.
San Joaquin County was named the most dangerous in the state, averaging seventy-two violent crimes per 1,000 residents—almost double the state average.

Some blamed the government for being soft on crime.
Others blamed the influx of violence from nearby cities.
Locals described the city as “Little LA,” a place where the crime of the big city had spilled over, taking its toll on innocent families and children like Amari.

Investigators said no suspects had been arrested as of Monday.
The shooting was described by the mayor as an act of “domestic terrorism,” though the details remained unclear.
A total reward of $25,000 was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Yet, amidst the grief and the chaos, stories of love and community emerged.
Neighbors shared memories of Amari, the boy with a gentle heart and an infectious smile.
Friends spoke of his passion for sports, his willingness to help others, and the warmth he brought to those around him.
Even strangers offered prayers, lighting candles and leaving messages of hope in a world that had felt impossibly dark.

Patricia Flores, the aunt of one of the victims, spoke of loss that words could not contain.
“He is going to be missed. He will definitely be missed,” she said.
And indeed, all over Stockton, families, friends, and the wider community felt the void left by lives taken too soon.

The story of that night serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of innocence.
A celebration meant to honor life became a place of sorrow.
The laughter of children was replaced with tears.
Families were left with questions that may never be answered.
And yet, in the face of tragedy, the city remembered the boys and young man as they were: full of life, loved by many, and forever innocent in the memories of those who knew them.

Amari Peterson will not be forgotten.
The echo of his laughter, the sparkle in his eyes, and the joy he brought to those around him will live on in the hearts of family, friends, and a grieving city.
Though his time on earth was tragically brief, the impact of his life resonates far beyond the walls of that banquet hall.
A community continues to pray, to mourn, and to remember.
A boy who was just fourteen reminded the world how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken.