Parents are now replaying every second of that afternoon, wondering how a backyard filled with balloons and gift bags became a war zone.

In the days since, Stockton has turned its grief into vigils and makeshift memorials, candles flickering beneath rain‑soaked teddy bears. Detectives continue to chase leads, reviewing shaky camera footage and incomplete witness memories, searching for a face, a car, a reason. But for the families who came only to celebrate a child’s life, no arrest or explanation can return what was stolen in those few horrific seconds.