Children aged 8 and 9 among four killed in gang-related shooting at birthday party in California
Independent14 hrs
4 Dead, 11 Injured in Stockton Birthday Party Shooting
Do strict gun laws fail to stop criminals, or does America’s gun saturation fuel mass violence?
Above: Law enforcement at the scene of a shooting in Stockton, California, on Nov. 30, 2025. Image credit: Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
California has America’s strictest gun laws, yet Stockton nevertheless has suffered the state's thirteenth mass shooting this year. All the red flag laws and background checks in the world did not stop this tragedy because criminals ignore laws while law-abiding citizens are left defenseless. Gun control only ensures victims cannot fight back when criminals strike.
Left narrative
The Stockton massacre is totemic of the gun violence plaguing America, which is now shamefully the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the country. With over 380 mass shootings this year, America is drowning in death precisely because there are too many guns, not too few. The need for effective gun control, therefore, has never been more pressing.