15-year-old accused of bringing loaded gun to Santa Rosa school campus
Police in Santa Rosa arrested a 15-year-old Thursday for allegedly bringing a loaded gun onto a school campus, the latest incident involving weapons at the city's schools.
, officers were called to the campus of Montgomery High School around 9:05 a.m. after school staff reported what was described as an "unwanted individual" on campus. Police said a Montgomery High student was seen near the school's flagpole by another boy who was not recognized as part of the school community.
Both teens walked away after being approached by school administrators. The school's Student Safety Advisors attempted to contact the teens, which led the unidentified teen to leave campus.
The teen was then seen running towards Montgomery Village. Arriving officers located the suspect attempting to hide behind a building and he was detained without incident.
Police said a subsequent investigation revealed that the teen was a 15-year-old who is not enrolled in Santa Rosa City Schools. The teen was also carrying a loaded handgun, along with an additional loaded magazine inside his backpack.
No other weapons were located and no further threats to the campus were found, police said.
The teen was booked into the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of multiple weapons offenses. He is accused of possession of a loaded handgun on a school campus, being a minor in possession of a handgun, possession of a concealed firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Police are not revealing the teen's identity due to his age.
Following the incident, police said additional administrators from the district were deployed to the campus to provide support to students and staff.
Thursday's incident is the latest in a string of violent incidents involving weapons at the city's high schools.
At Elsie Allen High School, a 15-year-old student was stabbed during a fight on campus in February, which led to the arrest of another 15-year-old on suspicion of attempted murder. Another student at the school was arrested for allegedly bringing a loaded gun to campus in March.
In 2023, a student at Montgomery High School was fatally stabbed by a classmate during an art class.
The rise in violence prompted the district's Board of Education to approve a plan to bring back School Resource Officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department to campuses.
