Stockton community gathers for healing after mass shooting
Organizations in Stockton are uniting to help the community heal after the Nov. 29 mass shooting left four people dead, with an event held at Victory in Praise Church to provide comfort and resources."This is for the individuals that are experiencing vicarious trauma. I have, I'm tired of the violence in the community," said Toni McNeil, founder of Concrete Development Inc.The event aimed to support the community one person at a time. Nadia Monroy from the Family Resource Center encouraged people to reach out for help. "If you ever need anything, always reach out, because you'd be surprised how many people are available to help you," Monroy said. The mass shooting continues to weigh heavily on the city, with many residents still navigating the grief it left behind. "Talking with a lot of the community members here, somebody here at least had one person who was affected by that shooting. So we're a lot closer than you think and you'd be surprised how many people that were affected by it and they weren't even there," Monroy said. Toni McNeil, who knew multiple victims, said organizing the event is part of her healing process. "This helps me because it shows me that our community knows how to come together. It shows me I am not alone. We're not alone," McNeil said. "We know how to be resilient. We know how to show up. We know how to respond."For those directly impacted by the shooting, organizers announced that a web page through the San Joaquin County Foundation will soon be launched to offer additional resources.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
