STOCKTON, Calif. — An 18-year-old man is dead after being shot in Stockton's Weston Ranch neighborhood Tuesday night, Stockton Police Department officials say.
Just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, officers were called to the 1900 block of Nisperos Street after reports of a shooting. There they found an 18-year-old with a gunshot wound.
The teen was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. Homicide detectives are now investigating the shooting and no information about a suspect is available.
Officers are asking those with information or anyone who may have witnessed the shooting to call them at 209-937-8377. Stockton Crime Stoppers is also hoping to find information that leads to an arrest in the case and is offering a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information submitted to them at 209-946-0600.
The deadly shooting marks Stockton's 29th homicide of 2022 and comes after a dangerous week in the city. Three people were killed in separate homicide cases on July 7 and 8.
According to the Stockton Police Department, 21 homicides were reported at this same time last year.
STOCKTON CRIME IN CONTEXT
An increase in homicide cases in Stockton during the early months of 2022 came on the heels of a decline in 2021, where police reported fewer homicides ending the year with a total of 38 cases.
While that’s not the lowest number the department has dealt with in the past 12 years, it is below the annual average of 40 homicide cases per year since 1995.
In response to the rise in homicides, community groups held prayer vigils and outreach events meant to unite Stockton residents against violence.
Activists have called on the community to show up to such events and work with local organizations such as Advance Peace, Faith in the Valley, Lighthouse of the Valley and the Office of Violence Prevention to discourage crime and help impacted communities heal.
Click here for a map of crime statistics.
In an interview with ABC10 in March, Stockton City Manager Harry Black said the Stockton Police Department is trying to prevent more deaths by working more on intelligence gathering and cooperating with federal partners such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshall's Service.
The city is also working to improve its crime prevention, intervention and fighting strategy, Black said. Representatives with the city's Office of Violence Prevention are working to be more present in communities impacted by crime. The office's 'peacekeepers program' places mediators and mentors in high crime areas.
Watch the full interview: Stockton City Manager Harry Black talks recent crime in the city | Extended Interview
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