Damon Richard James Owens, a 42-year-old man from Stockton, California, was killed in the early morning hours of April 7, 2026, in a shooting behind a Michaels store in the 7600 block of Pacific Avenue. Stockton police were called to the area at about 5:09 a.m. after reports of gunfire, and when officers arrived, they found Owens suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was taken from the scene to a hospital, but he did not survive his injuries.
The shooting happened in the Lakeview district, in the area between Hammer Ranch Center and Pacific Town Center. In the immediate aftermath, police taped off the parking lot and investigators began processing the scene. Early reports said police had not yet released suspect information, and the case was still under investigation. The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified the man killed as Damon Richard James Owens, correcting earlier police information that had initially described the victim as a 32-year-old man.
Owens’ death was recorded as one of Stockton’s homicides for 2026. The case stood out not only because of the location, behind a commercial shopping area before much of the city was fully awake, but also because investigators moved quickly. By April 8, the day after the shooting, detectives had identified and arrested 42-year-old Trung Nguyen in connection with Owens’ death. Nguyen was detained and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on a homicide-related charge.
Prosecutors later charged Nguyen with murder. He also faced a firearm enhancement alleging intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury and death. Nguyen made his first court appearance on April 10, 2026, where he was advised of the charges against him. During that hearing, members of Owens’ family were present in the courtroom. One male relative reportedly stood and stared toward Nguyen as the case was called, before the judge instructed him to sit down. Nguyen indicated that he wanted to speak during the hearing, but the judge advised him against making a statement at that time.
Nguyen was appointed a public defender and was not granted bail. His next court appearance was scheduled for May 11, 2026, for further arraignment. As of the later public homicide tracking update, Nguyen’s case remained in the further arraignment stage, meaning the criminal proceedings were still ongoing and there had not yet been a reported trial outcome or conviction.
Outside the courtroom, Owens was remembered by his family as a husband and father. A fundraiser organized by his wife, Patricia Reynoso Owens, described him as a loving husband and an amazing father to two young children. She wrote that he had been taken from them suddenly and said the family was raising money for funeral expenses. His death left his family grieving while the criminal case against Nguyen began moving through San Joaquin County Superior Court.
