Stockton school mourns 8-year-old Journey Rose Reotutar Guerrero after deadly mass shooting
Students and staff at Commodore Stockton Skills School are mourning the loss of 8-year-old Journey Rose Reotutar Guerrero, one of four people killed in a mass shooting last weekend that also injured more than a dozen others.Sarahjoy, a classmate and friend of Journey, described her as “nice, funny, kind, a good friend … she was smart, and she had good handwriting.”Erika Flores, whose daughter was close friends with Journey, said the loss has been heartbreaking. “My heart sank, and I began to cry because it's so sad that this innocent little girl’s life was stolen,” she said. “My heart goes out to her mom and her family. I can’t imagine how they’re feeling.”Stockton Unified School District deployed its crisis team to the school to support grieving students. District spokesperson Melinda Meza said counselors, psychologists, and mental health clinicians were on campus. “It’s a terrible feeling for a parent to try to explain something like this to an 8-year-old,” Meza said. “That’s why it was so important that we had all of our counselors and crisis team, and support available.”| RELATED | Father of 14-year-old killed in Stockton mass shooting mourns who he calls 'the perfect kid'Meza said some students witnessed the shooting and are receiving additional support. “We made sure our counselors, psychologists, and mental health clinicians were working with them, and we could also say at other school sites as well,” she said.In memory of Journey, students placed flowers and drawings on her desk. “We did something to remind us of Journey,” Sarahjoy said. “We put flowers on her desk and put drawings on her desk.”Flores said the tragedy underscores how deeply violence can affect a community. “It just shows we need to really think about the choices we make, because they have ripples, not just affecting us, but a whole community,” she said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
