As the hunt to find the killers who engineered the massacre at a children’s birthday party in Stockton enters its sixth day, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow says he’s “excited about how well things are going” even though no suspects have been publicly identified.
He said he understands that partygoers were running for their lives and protecting others amid the hail of gunfire Saturday night, but he was hoping more clues would have emerged from the scores of guests who attended the gathering.
In an exclusive interview Wednesday evening, Withrow told Stocktonia that he’s encouraged by the assistance his office is receiving from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Stockton Police Department; San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office investigators; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office — to name just a few of the outside agencies helping the Sheriff’s Office. He said “solid information” is arriving via tip lines.
He also addressed three lingering questions about the killing that left four victims — ages 8 to 21 — dead and 13 wounded.
- Was it gang-related? Acknowledging the online speculation, Withrow said, “That may be accurate. It may not. We don’t know. We really won’t know the guy’s motivation until we get him.”
- How many shooters were there? Withrow couldn’t definitely say. “We processed the scene, and now we know how many shell casings we had and things like that and what direction the shots were going. … And so that will help us ascertain how many shooters.”
- What about witnesses at the party? “A lot of the same statements (were), ‘Nobody saw anything,’ ” the sheriff said. Withrow said he understands the priority when the attack began was staying alive, rather than getting a description of the assailants. “You know, when the shots start going off, I understand people are ducking and trying to get out of the way.” Yet he is still hopeful someone saw something and will say something. “It’s party of 100 people. But it’s a fairly small room.”
When asked whether witnesses are holding back from disclosing information, Withrow replied: “I don’t want to say that, but you know, we would’ve been hoping for more information on this right now.”
Withrow urged patience as the case continues to unfold.
“There’s a tremendous amount of investigating going on” as detectives piece together the horrendous crime, he said. The probe focuses not only on the shooters, but also on any co-conspirators who might have helped them plan the attack or were involved in the getaway.
In a separate interview, San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said he’s also satisfied with the pace of the probe.
“We know that justice takes time, and we want this to be done correctly — and we have the team in place that is necessary to get justice for the victims,” Freitas said.
Both the sheriff and DA spoke to Stocktonia on the sidelines of a candlelight vigil to honor victims of violent crime at Stockton’s Weber Point Event Center, an annual outdoor event that took on special significance against the backdrop of last weekend’s mass shooting.
Authorities are getting significant leads in the case from anonymous tip lines, Withrow said.
Stockton Crime Stoppers, with contributions from Mayor Christina Fugazi and Councilmember Mariela Ponce, is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the attack. The phone number is (209) 946-0600. That’s coupled with a $50,000 reward from the FBI’s Sacramento office, which is accepting information via an online portal.
Withrow said all leads are being investigated by a huge task force, comprising more than half of his office’s homicide squad of 40 to 50 investigators, along with help from outside agencies.
“We call it ‘all hands on deck,’ ” he said. “What needs to get done will be done.”