Two killed within hours near downtown, Eighth Street in Stockton: law enforcement
Two people died in Stockton shootings less than two hours apart early Monday morning, according to law enforcement.
The earlier shooting marked the fifth homicide just this year to tear through a small south Stockton neighborhood west of Eighth Street and Airport Way. Overall, the deaths mark the 26th and 27th homicides in Stockton this year.
That shooting happened around 12:40 a.m., when someone was shot as a sideshow was burning through residential intersections around Eighth and B Streets, according to Nick Goucher, a San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
One person died and two were injured, he said.
The sheriff's office did not identify the victim, or share any information about potential suspects, a motive or arrests.
By 10 a.m. Monday, at least 15 sheriff's office investigators were still examining evidence in the parking lot of Nena’s Restaurant on B Street, where the shooting may have occurred.
Fresh tire tracks in the intersection near Nena’s showed where the part of the sideshow leading up to the shooting may have occurred.
In the center of the lot, about 20 evidence markers — which often indicate where bullet casings have fallen — were scattered, with a few more lying opposite the lot in the road on B Street.
Intersections surrounding Nena's were still closed to traffic as of 10:15 a.m. Monday.
The neighborhood — which is just north of the Sierra Vista Housing Authority and is home to Van Buren and Hamilton elementary schools — has already been battered by two double homicides in 2023.
On an evening in early March, two young men were shot to death near Southside Market.
Less than two weeks later, two more young men were shot and killed near 10th and Tiffany Streets. All victims were under 30 years old.
"I'm a firm believer that before crime occurs, someone knows that crime is about to occur," police Chief Stanley McFadden said during an April visit to the neighborhood seeking tips.
"While the crime is occurring, I am sure that someone knows it is occurring. As well as after the fact, I'm sure there's people that know.”
Just an hour and 24 minutes after the B Street shooting Monday, Stockton police officers rushed downtown to a fatal shooting behind the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium, according to a police statement.
A 55-year-old man was shot sometime before 2:04 a.m. and died at the hospital, police said. The statement did not identify the victim or share any information about potential suspects.
The county medical examiner's office did not immediately respond to a request Monday to identify both Monday morning's victims.
Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Two killed in two hours downtown, south Stockton: law enforcement
