When tragedy struck Stockton, Stocktonia’s journalists united

Annie Barker captured every moment, from tough questions for the sheriff’s office south of town to the most haunting image from the north side: a child’s unicorn toy on the ground outside the party venue, covered in blood.

But mass shootings overwhelm the resources of even big national newsrooms. Small nonprofits struggle to serve their news-desert communities even on regular days. That’s why NEWSWELL is here.

From Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Arizona, our team worked around the clock to support the Stocktonia crew – editing and scheduling stories, managing news updates and social media posts, sending alerts, taking rewrite, backing up editors and reporters, editing photos and videos, and building new features on the fly for Stocktonia’s site. 

NEWSWELL supports 10 local news sites and any can access our resources when they are in need. This is what we promised when NEWSWELL began: The resources of a national network. The heart of a local newsroom.

In Stockton, the days ahead will require a lot of heart. The four people killed are now being identified. Three of them were children — a 14-year-old and two 8-year-olds. As we write this, the hunt for shooters is still underway. The city is still reeling with those questions: How could this happen, and where do we go from here?

Stocktonia’s team is still on the street uncovering larger stories about community violence and how it can be stopped. NEWSWELL is with them. This is the vision for local news you’re helping us build. On weeks like these, we see why it’s more important than ever. 

This update originally appeared in our Dec. 4, 2025, newsletter. This version has been lightly edited for clarity.