One of the victim’s of the Stockton birthday party shooting has been pictured by his family who are heartbroken that thier “bright, loved, and promising young soul” was taken in “a senseless act of violence”. Fourteen year old Amari Peterson was one of three children killed in the tragic shooting.
Amari Peterson’s family has described the mass shooting at the banquet hall as “an unimaginable tragedy”. Gunfire erupted as the cake was about to be cut at a children’s birthday party, with more than 100 family and friends in attendance on Saturday, November 29.
The gunman remains on the run. Amari’s aunt, Aresha Mosely, wrote on a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the teenager’s funeral he was a “sweet boy” who loved sports. She said: “Amari was a football player, a basketball player, a brother, son, and cousin. He was making plans and looking into colleges of choice… The only mistake this sweet boy made was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was simply being a kid at a kids’ party.”
It is unclear if Amari was related to the toddler, or a friend of the family. He was among a further four who died including two other children as young as eight.
Police are appealing for information to track down the shooter – or shooters – and are even welcoming rumours. Amari’s aunt added: “No parent should ever have to bury their child. No family should ever go from planning birthdays to planning funerals… Right now, Amari’s parents and loved ones need support, strength, and love — as a community and as human beings.”
She described her nephew as a talented baseball player, “a bright, loved, and promising young soul whose life was taken far too soon by a senseless act of violence.”
Pictures of the boy have been added to the GoFundMe showing his love for sport and his family. It has currently over $25,000 (£18,000) in donations and you can click this link to donate.
Following the tragedy the mother of the birthday girl, Patrice Williams, said: “It was just unexpected. I don’t know what happened, and I’m just so shocked and lost… They deserve to be in jail. They deserve to go to hell. I’m sorry, but I just … it’s not respectable. It’s a kids’ party.”
