On March 4, 2023, at approximately 6:03 p.m., Stockton Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 2100 block of South Airport Way. Upon arrival, they discovered two male victims, 29-year-old Jacob Haywood Thomas and 24-year-old Andrea Jones, both suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were transported to a local hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.
In the ensuing investigation, authorities arrested two teenagers in early May 2023.
Eighteen-year-old Iosua Sataua and a 16-year-old male were taken into custody on suspicion of homicide related to the double shooting. The arrests were made without incident, though specific details regarding the circumstances of their apprehension were not disclosed by the police.
Nearly a year after the incident, on March 5, 2024, a third suspect was apprehended. Twenty-seven-year-old Derek Yatil Gordon was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Las Vegas in connection with the deaths of Thomas and Jones. Following his arrest, Gordon was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on homicide-related charges.
As of the latest available information, the Stockton Police Department has not publicly disclosed a motive for the shootings. The investigation remains active, and authorities continue to seek any additional information that could shed light on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Thomas and Jones. Community members with pertinent information are encouraged to contact the Stockton Police Department's non-emergency line or the Investigations Division.
