A traffic stop on the north side of Stockton Thursday morning turned into something much bigger than a routine citation. Police say the stop, conducted at 9:15 a.m., led to the arrest of two men connected to an attempted homicide earlier this week, along with a firearm found inside their vehicle.
Officers arrested 20-year-old Markel Moore and 25-year-old Melvin McCoy on suspicion of attempted homicide and additional weapons charges, according to FOX40. Because officers located a firearm in the vehicle during the stop, the arrests were initially filed as a weapons arrest, the outlet reported.
Investigators identified Moore and McCoy as suspects in a shooting that happened near the 2600 block of Hawaii Avenue at 3:31 a.m. Tuesday, which left a 21-year-old man with injuries. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment and is expected to survive, as his injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
Incident Report Points to a Third Suspect
According to the incident report, three confirmed suspects were involved in the Tuesday shooting, though only two have been named in connection with Thursday's arrests. The station's report notes that circumstances surrounding the incident, as well as the search for other suspects, remain under investigation.
No further details about a motive or the relationship, if any, between the suspects and the victim have been released. Police have not said whether additional arrests are expected as the case develops.
Police Seek Tips as Case Continues
Stockton police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the department at 209-937-8377, or to reach out anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 209-946-0600. The appeal for tips suggests investigators are still working to fill in gaps around the case, including the identity of the third suspect described in the incident report.
The arrests come months after Stockton's police chief, Stanley McFadden, pledged a crackdown on gun violence following a particularly bloody June. Per Stocktonia, the city logged seven homicides that month, making it Stockton's deadliest June since 2015, and McFadden said officers would target violence-prone individuals and locations of suspected criminal activity, with more than 25 firearms seized that month alone.
A Mixed Picture on Citywide Violence
Despite June's spike, broader numbers for the first half of 2026 showed a slight year-over-year improvement. Stockton police classified 16 deaths as homicides in the first six months of 2026, down from 18 over the same span in 2025, and non-fatal shootings dropped to 43 from 48, according to the same Stocktonia report.
The Hawaii Avenue case also follows other recent gun violence in Stockton. In a separate incident in the city's Seaport District, police arrested Saience Vanhsy, Jim Vanhsy, and Ronny Kouiyoth on robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and weapons charges after a gunman fired at a 27-year-old robbery victim who was not struck, as reported by CBS Sacramento.
For now, the Hawaii Avenue investigation remains open, with Stockton police continuing to search for the third suspect named in the incident report and encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
