Who is Demetre Cassell ?

Demetre Cassell, 19, was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in February. A 19-year-old man was killed and two others were injured near Santa Paula Way on February 23.

The Stockton Police Department has arrested 19-year-old Demetre Cassell in connection with a fatal shooting in February on Tuesday night.

Shooting

A 19-year-old man died in the 8600 block of Santa Paula Way on February 23. Two others were injured in the shooting.

Cassell is currently in the San Joaquin County Jail.

The increase in homicide cases in Stockton during the first months of 2022 came after a decline in 2021, when police reported fewer homicides, ending the year with a total of 38 cases.

While that is not the lowest number the department has dealt with in the last 12 years, it is below the annual average of 40 homicide cases per year since 1995.

In response to the spike in homicides, community groups held prayer vigils and outreach events aimed at uniting Stockton residents against the violence.

Activists have called on the community to attend such events and work with local organizations like Advance Peace, Faith in the Valley, Lighthouse of the Valley and the Office of Violence Prevention to deter crime and help affected communities heal. .

In an interview with ABC10 in March, Stockton City Manager Harry Black said the Stockton Police Department is trying to prevent more deaths by working more on intelligence gathering and cooperating with federal partners like the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the US Marshall Service.

The city is also working to improve its crime-fighting, intervention and prevention strategy, Black said. Representatives from the city’s Office of Violence Prevention are working to be more present in communities affected by crime. The bureau’s ‘peacekeeping program’ places mediators and mentors in high-crime areas.

Watch the full interview: Stockton City Manager Harry Black talks about recent crime in the city | extended interview