A toddler’s birthday party in Stockton, California turned into an unspeakable tragedy when gunfire tore through a crowd of more than 100 people, killing four, including three children, and injuring at least 11 others.
The shooting happened just as the birthday cake was about to be cut. Among the victims was 14-year-old Amari Peterson, who was struck above the heart and died despite his father’s desperate attempts to save him. Also killed were an 8-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy, and 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, who died in his brother’s arms. The incident appears to have been targeted, though police have yet to identify any suspects.
In the wake of the tragedy, media personality Jason Lee took to Instagram with a heartfelt message, sharing his deep connection to the community and the victims.
“What happened to Amari and the other young lives taken this weekend has shaken me in a way that’s hard to put into words,” he wrote. Lee revealed that Burna Boy, connected through Wack 100, has offered to cover the funeral costs for the children lost.
“This kind of love and generosity matters,” Lee said. “It won’t erase the tragedy, but it gives these families one less burden.”
Lee ended with a message to Stockton: “We have to honor Amari and every child we’ve buried by fighting with everything in us to make this city safer… They deserved better. And we must be better.”
