A police official called a drive-by shooting one of the worst mass shootings in Northern California 's recent history after it took the lives of three people and wounded four others . Stockton police Officer Joe Silva said the area around Madison Market had a reputation for being a bad neighborhood , even before police responded Tuesday evening to find three killed . One woman was found fatally shot out on the sidewalk , while two other victims shot inside were taken to the hospital where they later died of their injuries , according to News10 ABC . Scroll down for video . Shooting : Emergency responders transport one of the victims of the shooting , which killed three and injured four others . On Wednesday , San Joaquin County officials identified the two women as 20-year-old Aliyah Taylor and 27-year-old Arniska Lofton and the male victim as 23-year-old Kabin Kennebrew . Four other men , ages 24 , 25 , 32 and 38 , were taken to the hospital with injuries and are expected to survive . Some said they believed those who were shot did not have gang ties , including Kayla Sandoval , who said was upset by the fact that innocent people were caught up in the violence . 'It 's a horrible feeling - a horrible feeling when you know these people and you know they did n't deserve what 's going on , ' Sandoval told KCRA . Police spoke with witnesses who reported that up to 40 shots had been fired , though no arrests have been made and police are still uncertain whether there were multiple gunmen . 'It ( was like ) , `` pop , pop , pop , pop , pop , '' ' Allison Deneau said . Shooting : Stockton police confirmed multiple victims in the shooting at Madison Market , and said that one victim had died on the spot , while another two later died in hospital . Crowd control : Police tried to break up crowds that had formed after the shooting as ambulance crews tried to transport the wounded . Scene : The shooting occurred at the Madison Market , on the corner of Madison and Park Streets , in Stockton , California , on Tuesday night . Fox40 reporter Tia Ewing tweeted from the scene that police said it was a gang-related drive-by shooting . 'Saddest part in this was watching a mother learn her child was shot dead in front of the Madison Market , ' Ewing posted online . Ewing also reported that the market was popular hangout for kids in the neighborhood . Violence is not foreign to Stockton , which saw 49 killings last year , an increase from the year before . The city hit record numbers with 58 homicides in 2011 , and 71 in 2012 . In comparison , Riverside , a similarly sized city of about 300,000 people in Southern California , had 13 homicides in 2011 and 16 in 2012 . Stockton , which sits about 80 miles east of San Francisco and is a gateway to Yosemite National Park , was once an official `` All-America City '' before the collapse of the housing market . In the years that followed , Stockton twice led Forbes magazine 's list of `` America 's most miserable cities . '' In 2012 , it became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy before Detroit made the move in 2013 . Stockton emerged from bankruptcy last fall after the judge approved its reorganization plan . At one point , the police union was so upset over layoffs and a record homicide rate that it posted billboards tracking the city 's body count and disclosing the city manager 's phone number . One blood-spattered sign read : 'Welcome to the 2nd most dangerous city in California : Stop laying off cops ! ' The city has tried to reduce violence . A program called Operation Peacekeeper uses street-wise people trained in conflict resolution , mediation , community organizing and mentoring to work in schools , parks , street corners and apartment complexes . Workers respond to areas where violent crimes have occurred in an attempt to talk with young people and prevent retaliations . On Wednesday , mourners had left candles , notes and flowers for the three victims killed in the shooting . 'Why would you be willing to take a life for something so senseless ? ' Sandoval said . The deceased 'had loved ones . We do n't bring our kids out because of things like this . '
Police identified the three victims killed during the shooting as Aliyah Taylor , 20 , Arniska Lofton , 23 , and Kabin Kennebrew , 27 . The two women were mothers , according to a report . Shots were fired at the Madison Market in Stockton around 8.25pm . Witnesses say they heard up to 40 gunshots . Police believe the shooting was gang related .