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 didn'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 don'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, 27, and Kabin Kennebrew, 23 . 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 .