Families of Stockton shooting victims seeking assistance for funeral expenses
The families of children killed in the Stockton shooting are asking for help in raising money for funeral expenses and to cover other financial burdens.
The relatives of 14-year-old Amari Peterson, and 8-year-old Maya Lupian, have started fundraisers, which have been verified by GoFundMe’s Communications team. Peterson and Lupian were both killed at a 2-year-old’s birthday party on Nov. 29 in one of Stockton’s largest mass shootings in recent years. The two were among the four killed, alongside the 11 people injured.
“No parent should ever have to bury their child,” wrote Aresha Mosley, Peterson’s aunt and godmother. “No family should ever go from planning birthdays to planning funerals.”
Peterson and Lupian’s fundraisers can be found at:
- https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-amaris-family-through-this-tragedy
- https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-maya-lupian-support-her-loved-ones
Described as a “bright, loved, and promising young soul,” Mosley wrote that Peterson’s life was “taken far too soon by a senseless act of violence.” As the organizer of the fundraiser, she wrote the money will be going to his funeral.
Mosley wrote that Peterson, who was from Modesto, was an athlete, playing football and basketball. He just started looking at colleges he wanted to attend, she added.
“The only mistake this sweet boy made was being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Mosley wrote. “He was simply being a kid at a kids’ party.”
Peterson’s fundraiser has raised $43,231 of its $55,000 goal.
The older sister of Maya Lupian, Yesenia Lupian, wrote that her baby sister was “the light in everyone’s life,” and “the sweetest soul.” She died two weeks short of her 9th birthday. Yesenia Lupian wrote that the fundraiser will support the family during time off from work and provide other financial support.
“She deserved a childhood full of laughter, school days, karate, family time and dreams... not this,” Yesenia Lupian wrote online. “We are devastated, heartbroken and trying to navigate the impossible.”
Yesenia Lupian wrote that Maya Lupian was the “most outgoing 8-year-old” a person could ever meet. As a third grader at Aspire Apex Academy, Maya Lupian excelled in school, her sister said. She adored dancing, singing, drawing and was a purple belt in karate.
More than $18,000 has been donated to Maya Lupian’s fundraiser, with a goal of $30,000.
A fundraiser also has been posted for Liam Play World, the bounce house company that supplied equipment for the party. The small business, whose fundraiser can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-liam-play-world-in-their-time-of-need, is seeking money to make up for lost income and to replace its items. The fundraiser is seeking $1,000 and has raised $80 so far.
“This pause means a sudden and unexpected loss of income,” the fundraiser stated. “Especially difficult during a season when many small businesses rely on holiday bookings to stay afloat.”
The fundraiser stated Liam Play World will be stopping operations so it can process the tragedy.
The shooting occurred at a banquet hall on the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue. San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said the attack likely was targeted. The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the shooting and the Federal Bureau of Investigations is offering a $50,000 reward for information in identifying a suspect or suspects in the shooting.
The FBI is asking residents to send tips to fbi.gov/stocktonshooting.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 1:38 PM.
