Victim of Calif. Birthday Party Mass Shooting ID’d as 8-Year-Old Girl Who Was 2 Weeks from Her 9th Birthday

The 8-year-old girl who was among three children killed in a mass shooting at a birthday party in Stockton, Calif., has been identified as Maya Lupian.

In a GoFundMe post, Maya’s family described her as “the most outgoing 8-year-old you’d ever meet,” sharing that she excelled both in school and in her activities outside the classroom. They also noted that she was just two weeks away from her 9th birthday on Dec. 13.

“Maya was the light in everyone’s life, the sweetest soul,” her family wrote. “She deserved a childhood full of laughter, school days, karate, family time and dreams… not this. We would have been celebrating her 9th birthday in just 2 weeks on December 13th. We are devastated, heartbroken and trying to navigate the impossible.”

Her older sister, Yesenia Lupian, wrote that Maya leaves behind “a loving family,” including their parents, two older brothers, two nieces “that adore her,” and many relatives and friends who loved her deeply.

Maya was one of four people — three children and one adult — killed in the Nov. 29 shooting. Around 100 people had gathered at a local banquet hall in Stockton to celebrate a 2-year-old girl’s birthday when gunfire erupted.

The children who died were 8, 8 and 14 years old, and a 21-year-old man was also killed, according to earlier reports. Family members told the Associated Press that the shooting began just as guests were preparing to cut the birthday cake. “I actually thought it was my balloons popping. It was gunshots,” said Patrice Williams, the birthday girl’s mother.

Authorities say they are still searching for those responsible. Local law enforcement has indicated that multiple suspects may have been involved and remain at large.

In its most recent update on Sunday, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said detectives were still processing the scene with help from the California Department of Justice. Federal agencies, including the ATF and the FBI, are also assisting in the investigation, and the FBI said it has been in “continuous communication” with local investigators.

“Finding the person or persons who committed this crime is the number one priority,” San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Heather Brent said at a Sunday press conference, according to ABC10. “Right now, we ask this community, don’t let this divide you. Make it something that brings you together, come together as a community and let’s help each other.”

Stockton leaders have also expressed their grief and outrage.

Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee wrote on social media Saturday night that his heart was “heavy in a way that’s hard to put into words” after learning about the attack at the children’s party. “I am devastated and angry to learn about the mass shooting at a child’s birthday party,” he said. “A birthday party should never be a place where families fear for their lives.”

Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi said in an Instagram post on Sunday that she “could not sleep” after hearing what happened.

“I lay there in disbelief about what these families, these children, and our entire community went through,” she wrote. “The trauma they are living with is unimaginable.”

She continued: “Children who saw things no child should ever see. Loved ones standing there, watching someone they care about murdered in cold blood right in front of them. These are wounds that will likely never heal, let alone quickly. This is trauma that will follow these kids and these families for the rest of their lives.”