Damon Richard James Owens, 42, Killed in Shooting Behind Stockton Michaels Store; Seventh Homicide of 2026, Stockton Police Seek Tips – San Joaquin County Medical Examiner Confirms.

Tragedy on Pacific Avenue – The Killing of Damon Richard James Owens

STOCKTON, Calif. – April 7–8, 2026 – A predawn morning in a commercial parking lot turned into a scene of violence and grief when gunfire erupted behind a Michaels craft store in northern Stockton, claiming the life of 42-year-old Damon Richard James Owens. The shooting, which occurred just after 5 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, has left a family shattered, a community on edge, and police investigators searching for answers with no suspects in custody.

The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office officially identified the victim and confirmed his age as 42, correcting earlier police scanner reports that had mistakenly listed him as 32. Owens died from multiple gunshot wounds at a local hospital after being rushed from the scene. His death marks the seventh homicide recorded in Stockton in 2026 – a statistic that underscores a persistent and heartbreaking reality for the Central California city of roughly 320,000 residents.

Stockton Police Department (SPD) officers responded to the incident at approximately 5:09 a.m. on April 7 after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots in the area. The location was the 7600 block of Pacific Avenue, specifically the rear parking lot and loading dock area behind a Michaels store – a large arts-and-crafts retailer situated in a busy commercial corridor that also includes grocery stores, restaurants, and other big-box outlets. At that hour, the area was largely empty, with only a few early-morning employees arriving for store openings and overnight stock crews finishing their shifts.

When officers arrived, they found Damon Richard James Owens lying on the asphalt near the dumpsters behind the Michaels building. He was conscious but unresponsive to verbal commands, having sustained at least two gunshot wounds – one to the torso and one to a lower extremity, according to initial medical reports. Paramedics from the Stockton Fire Department provided immediate trauma care, and Owens was transported by ambulance to Dameron Hospital in downtown Stockton. Despite aggressive life-saving efforts, including emergency surgery and blood transfusions, Owens was pronounced dead at 6:47 a.m.

The Investigation: A Search for Witnesses and Motive

The Stockton Police Department’s Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Detectives spent hours canvassing the area, reviewing surveillance footage from the Michaels store and neighboring businesses, and interviewing potential witnesses. As of the evening of April 7, no suspects had been identified, and no arrests had been made. By the morning of April 8, the yellow crime scene tape that had cordoned off the rear parking lot was removed, but police presence remained as officers continued to gather information and follow up on leads.

“We are in the very early stages of this investigation,” said Officer Kimberly Silva, a public information officer for the Stockton Police Department, during a brief press conference on April 7. “We ask anyone who may have been in the area around 5 a.m. – whether driving through the parking lot, walking, or working nearby – to come forward. Even the smallest detail could be critical.”

Detectives have not publicly released a possible motive. However, sources close to the investigation – speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case – indicated that Owens may have been involved in a pre-arranged meeting behind the Michaels store. The reason for that meeting remains unclear. No weapon was found on Owens’ body, and investigators have not said whether they believe he was targeted or was the victim of a random act of violence.

The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on April 8. Preliminary findings confirmed that Owens died from hemorrhagic shock due to gunshot wounds. Toxicology results, which could reveal the presence of alcohol or drugs, are pending and typically take several weeks.

Who Was Damon Richard James Owens?

As news of his death spread through Stockton’s close-knit neighborhoods, a portrait began to emerge of a man who was deeply loved by his family and friends. Damon Richard James Owens – known to most as “Damon” or simply “DJ” – was born on August 14, 1983, in Stockton, where he lived for most of his life. He attended Edison High School and later worked a variety of jobs, most recently as a warehouse associate for a logistics company near the Port of Stockton.

Family members described Owens as a devoted father to three children – two daughters, ages 14 and 11, and a son, age 8 – whom he shared with his longtime partner, Marissa Hernandez. Hernandez, reached by phone on April 8, was too overcome with grief to speak at length but released a short statement through a family friend: “Damon was the love of my life. He was a good father, a hard worker, and he had the biggest heart. Our children are devastated. We need answers. We need justice.”

Owens’ mother, Carolyn Owens-Turner, told a local reporter that her son had recently turned his life around after some struggles in his younger years. “He wasn’t perfect – none of us are. But in the past five years, he had found steady work, he was showing up for his kids, he was going to church with me on Sundays. For someone to take him like this… it’s senseless.”

Friends remembered Owens as a man who loved hip-hop music, barbecue cookouts, and coaching his son’s youth basketball team at the St. Mary’s Recreation Center. A teammate from the warehouse, Jerome Buckley, said: “Damon was the guy who would give you his last dollar if you needed it. He didn’t have enemies. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt him.”

The Scene: A Commercial Area Transformed by Violence

The 7600 block of Pacific Avenue is part of one of Stockton’s busiest retail corridors, anchored by the Sherwood Mall just a half-mile to the north. The Michaels store, which remains open for business, sits in a large shopping center alongside a grocery store, a fast-food restaurant, and several smaller shops. The rear parking lot – where Owens was found – is used primarily for employee parking, deliveries, and dumpster access. It is partially obscured from the main road by the building itself, making it a relatively secluded area during early morning hours.

On the morning of April 7, the quiet was shattered by the sound of multiple gunshots – neighbors living in apartments across the street reported hearing four to six rounds in rapid succession. One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I heard pops. At first I thought it was a car backfiring, but then I heard a scream. I looked out my window and saw someone running across the parking lot. Then I called 911.”

That caller may have inadvertently captured valuable information. Police have not confirmed whether the fleeing person was a suspect or a witness, but they are seeking to identify anyone who was in the area at that time.

Stockton’s Ongoing Battle with Gun Violence

The death of Damon Richard James Owens is the seventh homicide in Stockton so far in 2026. By comparison, the city recorded 12 homicides in the first four months of 2025, meaning the current pace is slightly lower but still troubling for a city that has worked hard to shed its reputation for violent crime. Stockton made national headlines in the 2010s for high crime rates and a municipal bankruptcy, but in recent years, community policing efforts and violence intervention programs have shown progress.

“Every homicide is a tragedy, but this one hits hard because it appears to have happened in a public place during a time when people are just trying to go to work,” said Mayor Kevin Lincoln in a statement. “We will not rest until we find whoever is responsible and bring them to justice. I urge anyone with information to speak up.”

The Stockton Police Department has increased patrols in the Pacific Avenue corridor following the shooting, though they have not identified any ongoing threat to the public. The department’s Violence Reduction Unit is also assisting with the investigation.

Community Response and Calls for Justice

In the days following the shooting, a small but growing memorial has appeared behind the Michaels store – a cluster of candles, flowers, handwritten notes, and a framed photograph of Owens holding his youngest child. On the evening of April 8, approximately 30 family members and friends gathered for an impromptu vigil, holding hands and praying in the same parking lot where Owens was killed.

“We’re here because we refuse to let Damon’s name be forgotten,” said Tanya Ross, a cousin of Owens. “And we’re here to send a message to whoever did this: we will find you. The police will find you. Or God will find you.”

The Stockton Police Department has asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact them directly at the Stockton Police Department’s non-emergency line or to submit an anonymous tip through Stockton Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600. Tips can also be submitted online via the Stockton Crime Stoppers website. Cash rewards are available for information leading to an arrest.

“Even if you think your information is small or insignificant, please share it,” Officer Silva said. “A tip from the public is what solves most homicides. We need the community’s help.”

What We Know – And What We Don’t

As of April 9, 2026, the following facts have been confirmed by authorities:

· Victim: Damon Richard James Owens, age 42 (corrected from initial reports of 32).
· Date and time of shooting: Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at approximately 5:09 a.m.
· Location: Rear parking lot / loading dock area behind the Michaels store, 7600 block of Pacific Avenue, Stockton, California.
· Cause of death: Multiple gunshot wounds; pronounced dead at Dameron Hospital at 6:47 a.m.
· Homicide count: Seventh homicide in Stockton in 2026.
· Suspect status: None identified; no arrests made.
· Investigation status: Active; police reviewing surveillance footage and seeking witnesses.

What remains unknown is far more than what is known: the identity of the shooter, the number of shooters, the motive, whether Owens knew his attacker, and what brought Owens to that specific location at that hour.

A Family’s Grief, A City’s Call to Action

For the family of Damon Richard James Owens, the days ahead will be filled with funeral arrangements, a growing number of condolence messages, and the agonizing wait for answers. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Owens’ sister, Shanice Owens, had raised over $8,000 within 24 hours to cover funeral expenses and provide for his three children. “Any amount helps,” Shanice wrote. “Damon was our protector, our laughter, our strength. Now we have to be strong for him.”

The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office has released Owens’ body to the family, and funeral services are being planned for the week of April 13, 2026, at Frisbie-Warren & Carroll Mortuary in Stockton. A public viewing is expected, followed by a private burial at Stockton Rural Cemetery.

As the investigation continues, the Stockton Police Department is urging anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious near the Michaels store on Pacific Avenue between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on April 7 to come forward. That includes delivery drivers, ride-share drivers, overnight employees, and early-morning joggers or dog walkers.

“Someone out there knows what happened,” Sheriff’s Deputy (ret.) and community activist Marcus Williams said at the vigil. “And that someone has a chance to do the right thing. For Damon. For his children. For this city.”

A Final Word

Damon Richard James Owens was 42 years old. He was a father, a partner, a son, a brother, a friend. He worked hard, loved his family, and was trying to live a better life. On a quiet Tuesday morning behind a craft store in Stockton, his life was taken by a bullet – and possibly by someone who knew him, or perhaps by a stranger. That uncertainty is a wound that will not heal quickly.

But his memory will live on – in the tears of his children, in the prayers of his mother, and in the determination of a community that refuses to let his death be just another statistic. The seventh homicide of 2026 in Stockton is not just a number. It is Damon Richard James Owens. And his family deserves justice.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Stockton Police Department at (209) 937-8377 or submit an anonymous tip to Stockton Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600. Tips can also be submitted online at stocktoncrimestoppers.org.

Rest in peace, Damon Richard James Owens. You will not be forgotten.