Following Stockton’s deadliest month of the year, a 47-year-old employee of the city’s Office of Violence Prevention was wounded this week in a drive-by shooting in south Stockton, city officials said.
OVP Director Lora Larson said Friday that the victim was one of her department’s peacekeepers — outreach workers who intervene in conflicts and assist people affected by gun violence.
“On Wednesday, a peacekeeper was the victim of a shooting,” Larson said in a written statement to Stocktonia. “Our immediate thoughts and prayers are with our employee, their loved ones, and everyone affected by this act of violence.”
Shortly before 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, a man was shot in the 1300 block of south Van Buren Street, the Stockton Police Department said on social media. A vehicle pulled up, and an occupant opened fire on the man. Officer Omer Edhah said the victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The man was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police have not released his name nor said whether investigators believe he was specifically targeted.
Larson said the city does not yet know what prompted the shooting.
“At this time, we do not know the circumstances surrounding the incident, and it would be inappropriate to speculate while law enforcement conducts its investigation,” she said.
Vice Mayor Jason Lee first publicly identified the victim as a member of Stockton’s violence-prevention team in a message emailed to the media Wednesday night. Lee called the shooting “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”
“One of the very individuals working every day to interrupt violence and make our neighborhoods safer has become the victim of gun violence,” he said.
In a social media post Thursday, Lee said the employee was shot “while serving our community in District 5.”
District 5 Councilmember Brando Villapudua told ABC10 that the man had been “visiting a client” when the shooting occurred.
“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” he told the news outlet.
Villapudua did not immediately respond to Stocktonia’s emails and phone calls seeking additional information about the shooting.
The Office of Violence Prevention employs peacekeepers to mediate conflicts, mentor people considered at high risk of becoming involved in gun violence and connect victims and their families with services, according to the department’s website.
Lee used the shooting to renew his call for a police substation in District 5, which includes downtown and portions of south Stockton. Lee, who represents District 6, said the incident demonstrates the need for “a stronger and more visible public safety presence” in the area.
The possibility of opening additional police substations has come before the City Council several times since March 2025, prompting debate about potential locations, costs and the effect on an understaffed Police Department.
One substation has since opened near the Sierra Vista neighborhood, but proposals for other locations have not advanced. When the council most recently discussed the issue March 31, it took no formal action.
During that meeting, Stockton police compared crime and call volume in Districts 2, 5 and 6. In 2025, District 5, which includes downtown and parts of south Stockton, recorded 2,974 crimes and 76,449 calls for service. By comparison, District 2 in north Stockton recorded 1,844 crimes and 35,856 calls, while District 6 recorded 1,559 crimes and 31,464 calls. District 5 alone received more calls for service than the other two districts combined.
Still, the data showed crime and calls for service in District 5 have declined in recent years. Total crime fell about 22%, from 3,825 incidents in 2023 to 2,974 in 2025, while calls for service dropped about 14%, from 88,850 to 76,449.
Despite the downward trends, the shooting follows an especially deadly June in Stockton. The city recorded at least five nonfatal shootings and seven homicides last month, according to newly released Police Department statistics.
Lee said he plans to ask police leaders to provide the City Council with a broader presentation examining crime trends in each district, where resources are most needed and what additional support the department requires.
“Our residents deserve transparency, accountability, and a clear strategy for reducing violent crime,” Lee said.
Police said Wednesday’s shooting remains under investigation.