Stockton activist Jasmine Dellafosse was welcomed home from the hospital with a small surprise party and big smiles.
In a clip on Instagram Wednesday, cries of “We missed you!” and “Hi, Aunty!” greeted Dellafosse, dressed in bright fuchsia and gold, as she was wheeled toward a throng of her nieces and nephews.
“How is your leg?” one asked.
Days earlier, Dellafosse had shared black-and-white video snippets of the moments after she was shot in the leg during Saturday’s mass shooting in north Stockton, as well as her recovery in the hospital. She is one of 13 who were wounded in the attack, which law enforcement has described as “targeted.” Four people were killed that night — a 21-year-old and three children, a 14-year-old and two 8-year-olds, who were cousins.
“I have no words, but love to the families,” Dellafosse said in the caption of a video posted Monday. “Please keep them in prayers everyday this one hurts.”
In 2018, a mural depicting Dellafosse went up at south Stanislaus and east Main streets as a recognition for her work in south Stockton, including a project to beautify the area’s Liberty Square Park.
Painted in hues of teal and honey yellow, Dellafosse’s image overlays a gesturing Martin Luther King Jr. Words from the local activist are written across her bicep and abdomen in the mural.
“Digging up our roots on the shoulders of our ancestors,” one of her quotes reads. “We rise! #StocktonYouthRising”
Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, in a call with Stocktonia, described Dellafosse as “one of Stockton’s greatest treasures” for her work as a youth advocate, both locally and nationwide.
“She represents the best of the city,” Tubbs said of his friend and former mentee. In 2013, Dellafosse interned for Tubbs, then a Stockton Councilmember. Later, at the age of 19, Dellafosse helped elect Jerry McNerney to the U.S. House of Representatives as a field organizer.
Dellafosse has since moved her work nationwide to advocate for youth justice, most recently as executive director for the California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice, a coalition lobbying for the end of youth incarceration. In 2020, she starred in HBO’s documentary “Stockton on My Mind,” which followed Tubbs’ mayoral administration.
“The fact that she was shot, also goes to illustrate that we all could be collateral damage,” Tubbs said.
“That’s why it’s everyone’s problem. Everyone has to be part of the solution.”
Want more? Sign up to get Stocktonia delivered to your inbox three days a week.