ANKARA
At least four people were killed and 10 others wounded in a shooting at a banquet hall in a city in California’s Central Valley, media reports said Saturday.
The incident occurred just before 6 pm local time (0200GMT) in the city of Stockton during a family gathering, according to ABC News.
“This is unfathomable,” said Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, noting that the victims included both juveniles and adults.
Several individuals were taken to local hospitals, though no updates were provided on their conditions.
Authorities have not made any arrests or identified a suspect. Brent said preliminary evidence suggests the shooting may have been targeted.
“Our number one priority right now is identifying the suspect in this incident,” the outlet quoted her as saying.
Christina Fugazi, the city’s mayor, expressed grief over the timing of the attack, coming just days after the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Families should be together instead of at the hospital standing next to their loved one praying that they survive,” she said, according to ABC.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said that a “tragedy of this nature is unthinkable. And it absolutely breaks our heart.”
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are among the agencies assisting in the investigation.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said he had been briefed on the “horrific shooting.”
Stockton, a city of approximately 320,000, is located about 45 miles (72 Kilometers) south of Sacramento, the state capital. By Merve Berker, Anadolu Agency