Survivors of Stockton's Nov. 29 mass shooting traveled to Sacramento this week with a blunt message for state leaders: do not just offer sympathy, pay for healing. They are pushing lawmakers to fund therapy, emergency cash and a dedicated trauma recovery center, arguing that condolences without concrete support are not enough. After a news conference, families and community advocates fanned out to lawmakers' offices, saying Stockton needs direct investments to help the more than 100 people who were at the birthday party and are now living with the aftermath.
What survivors want from the budget
Advocates laid out three priorities that they say would make a real difference. First, they want the state to restore the flexible cash assistance pilot that was cut last year, so survivors can quickly cover rent, utilities and burial costs. Second, they are asking for funding to open a trauma recovery center in Stockton that would offer up to a year of free therapy for people 21 and younger. Third, they want expanded free mental health services for children who witness gun violence. Those demands were presented both at the news conference and in closed-door meetings with lawmakers, according to CBS Sacramento.
The scale of the attack
The shooting unfolded on Nov. 29 inside a banquet hall during a two-year-old's birthday party. Family members and officials say more than 100 people had gathered when gunfire erupted, and 17 people were shot, four of whom died, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Investigators later recovered roughly 50 shell casings from at least five firearms, a detail reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Voices from Stockton
In Sacramento, speakers made clear they were not asking for charity, but for policy. Reverend William TD Armen Jr. declared, "Stockton has cried long enough. Stockton has bled long enough," and family members repeatedly called for "policy, not pity." Tinisch Hollins of Crime Survivors Speak argued that the state has failed crime victims in underserved communities, while local activist Nuri Muhammad said it is not radical to look after those who suffer from senseless gun violence. Patrick Peterson, whose son Amari was killed in the attack, described his son as a straight-A student and star athlete, according to CBS Sacramento.
Budget cuts survivors say worsened harm
Survivors and advocates also pointed to recent budget decisions that they believe stripped communities of quick, flexible support. The Legislative Analyst's Office notes that the 2025-26 spending plan reverted $50 million from a Flexible Cash Assistance for Survivors of Crime pilot after initial funds were never awarded, a move advocates say eliminated a tool that could have helped families cover immediate bills and burial expenses (Legislative Analyst's Office).
State response and the roadmap ahead
The governor's office, for its part, has pointed to existing programs. The California Victim Compensation Board can provide up to $70,000 per eligible victim, and Stockton has received roughly $8.7 million in CalVIP grants since 2018, per a state press release. Gov. Gavin Newsom submitted his proposed 2026-27 budget on Jan. 9, and advocates say they are now racing the clock to get trauma centers, child mental health care and flexible aid written into the plan as the Legislature weighs amendments over the coming weeks.
