Stockton girl, 6, injured in drive-by shooting; gunman sought

FILE -- People pass a billboard placed by the Police Officers association in Stockton, Calif., where Chapter 9 bankruptcy was declared last year when the mortgage bubble burst, Feb. 29, 2012. Wall Street is taking America's biggest pension fund to court this week, for a long-awaited battle over who takes the losses when a city goes bust - workers and retirees, municipal bondholders, or both. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) less FILE -- People pass a billboard placed by the Police Officers association in Stockton, Calif., where Chapter 9 bankruptcy was declared last year when the mortgage bubble burst, Feb. 29, 2012. Wall Street is ... more Photo: Jim Wilson, New York Times Photo: Jim Wilson, New York Times Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Stockton girl, 6, injured in drive-by shooting; gunman sought 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A 6-year-old girl is recovering at the hospital after she was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Stockton’s Seaport District on Sunday night, police said.

The incident began around 11:10 p.m. when the child was riding with her mother in a Chevrolet Tahoe on the way to pick up food, said Stockton police spokesman Officer Joe Silva.

The girl’s mother pulled over in the 100 block of East First Street when a white two-door, older-model Saturn came up near them.

A man then opened fire, striking the passenger side of the Chevrolet and hitting the 6-year-old, Silva said.

The mother, who was unhurt, drove her daughter to a nearby hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

“As of this afternoon, she was still in the hospital being treated for a non-life-threatening injury,” Silva said. “We don’t know why they were targeted.”

Officers are searching for the shooter, described as a thin man in his 20s wearing a beanie.

Anyone with information can call the department’s main line at (209) 937-8377. To remain anonymous, dial (209) 946-0600.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno