On May 12, 2023, at about 1:58 a.m., 13-year-old Richard Walker was fatally shot inside his home on Flint Avenue in Stockton, California. Officers found Richard with a gunshot wound and he died after being taken to a nearby hospital. Investigators determined Richard’s 16-year-old brother was handling a firearm when it discharged, striking Richard; the older brother also suffered a gunshot wound to his hand and was arrested and booked into San Joaquin County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of manslaughter, negligent discharge of a firearm, and weapons charges.

Richard was a sixth-grade student at Marshall Elementary School in the Stockton Unified School District and was remembered by peers and teachers as a talented athlete and a beloved friend. The school district deployed its crisis team of mental health clinicians, school psychologists, and counselors to support students and staff. Authorities have not disclosed how the 16-year-old obtained the firearm, and the origin of the weapon remains under investigation.

If anyone knew Richard or has information about how the firearm came into the home, please come forward to help the community and the ongoing inquiry.