A grieving father has claimed that the gunman responsible for a deadly mass shooting at a child's birthday party in Stockton, California, was targeting a local rapper. The attack on Saturday left four people dead and more than a dozen others wounded.
A Scene of Chaos and Loss
The shooting erupted as guests were about to cut the birthday cake at a party for a two-year-old girl. Four people were killed: three children, aged eight, nine, and 14, and a 21-year-old man. An additional 14 individuals were injured in the suspected gang-related attack.
Patrick Peterson, whose 14-year-old son Amari was killed, told local news station KTVU that the shooter appeared to be aiming for Filipino-American rapper MBnel. "He started letting off shots and people were scrambling and falling, getting out of the way," Peterson recounted.
The Rapper at the Centre of the Claim
MBnel, whose real name is Johnel Dongon, was shot but survived the incident. His father, Junior Dongon, informed The New York Post that his son had only gone to the party to drop off a present for the young celebrant, a friend's daughter.
"He was shot, but he is okay … he called me and said, 'don't say anything to anybody'," the father said. The rapper, known for tracks like "Feelings" and "Opulent" which have tens of millions of streams on Spotify, had moved away from Stockton two years prior and was living near Sacramento.
Other Victims and Community Trauma
Among the injured was local activist Jasmine Delafosse. The city's former mayor, Michael Tubbs, told ABC10 she was expected to recover. He relayed her harrowing account of the event, which included seeing young children die and fearing for her own life.
The family of 14-year-old victim Amari Peterson has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs. His mother, Kimberly Pangnanouvong, spoke of her devastation to the Stockton Record. "My baby was innocent," she said. "We were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."
She described Amari as a talented boy who played basketball and football, saying, "My baby was loved." The eight-year-old victim was a student in the Stockton Unified School District. The 21-year-old man killed was identified by family as Susano Archuleta, who was shot in the neck.
Ongoing Investigation
As of Tuesday, 2 December 2025, police have not made any arrests or publicly named suspects in connection with the shooting. The investigation into the precise motives and circumstances surrounding the tragic event continues.
