Michael Pruitt, a 42-year-old Stockton man, was found suffering from gunshot wounds near East March Lane and Holiday Drive on Dec. 31, 2024. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries. In January 2025, detectives were looking for a suspect in his death.
According to a Stockton Police Department post, Pruitt was identified as the victim in what the department is tracking under homicide case number 24-39457. The exact time of the shooting has been reported differently across accounts: the police department's own post places it around 4:10 p.m. that day, while Stocktonia News reported officers discovered the 42-year-old suffering from gunshot wounds about 4 p.m., and FOX40 reported officers found a man who had been shot near Holiday Drive around 5:30 p.m.
The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Michael Pruitt of Stockton, according to Stocktonia News. The outlet reported that detectives were looking for a suspect in the fatal shooting but had offered no description. A separate Stocktonia report noted that no suspect had been identified in Pruitt's fatal shooting as the new year began.
A Killing That Closed Out a Violent Year
Pruitt's death came on the final day of a year that saw Stockton's homicide count climb sharply. The city recorded 54 homicides in 2024, a 20% increase from the 45 homicides tallied in 2023, per the same Stocktonia report. That total made 2024 the city's third-highest homicide year in the past decade.
Obituary Remembers Pruitt
Outside of the criminal investigation, Pruitt is remembered in obituary listings as Michael Charles Anthony Pruitt, born Oct. 11, 1982, and who died Dec. 31, 2024, at age 42, according to Cunningham Funeral Services.
Police have not released additional details about Pruitt's background, a possible motive, or a suspect description. The Stockton Police Department Investigations Division can be reached at 209-937-8323 for anyone with information on the case.
Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can also contact Stockton Crime Stoppers through its website, the P3 Tips mobile app, or by calling 209-946-0600.
