Stockton Victim's Tearful Father Recounts Horror Of Birthday Party Mass Shooting

STOCKTON, CA —The father of one of the children killed in Saturday’s devastating mass shooting at a 2-year-old’s birthday party in Stockton tearfully shared his memory of the attack in an interview with ABC10.

Amari Peterson, 14, died after suffering a gunshot wound above the heart, his father, Patrick Peterson, told the outlet, adding his daughter also suffered a graze wound.

“Everybody running off and my son is just sitting there crawling, just trying to get up,” Peterson told ABC10. “I’m trying to give him CPR… and he just has blood coming out of his face. It’s just something that a father should never have to go through.”

Peterson said his son was a “gentle soul” who loved football and basketball, according to ABC10.

A GoFundMe started to raise money for the family had received almost $50,000 in donations as of Tuesday afternoon.

Also killed in Saturday’s attack were an 8-year-old, a 9-year-old and a 21-year-old, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said. Eleven others were injured, including one who was in critical condition, according to Withrow. No one is in custody.

Emmanuel Lopez told the Los Angeles Times his brother, 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, was shot in the neck and died at the scene.

Mayor Christina Fugazi told reporters that the 8-year-old victim attended a local school and had a parent who worked for the Stockton Unified School District.

Family members were getting ready to cut the cake at the toddler’s birthday party when the gunfire started inside the packed banquet hall.

Detectives believe the gunfire continued outside and there may have been multiple shooters. Sheriff's spokesperson Heather Brent has said investigators believe it was a “targeted incident.” Officials did not elaborate on why authorities believe it was intentional or who might have been targeted.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.