Natomas High School Student Arrested for Bringing Loaded Gun on Campus

STAFF REPORT
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
Updated May 15, 2022*

A Natomas High School student was arrested Friday morning for bringing a loaded gun on campus.

According to an email sent Friday evening by Capt. Vance Chandler, which includes significant incidents and arrests in the Sacramento Police Department’s north command, the 15-year-old male student was arrested at about 11 a.m. on May 13 at the campus located on the 3300 block of Fong Ranch Road.

School district sources confirmed the Sacramento Police were called to the campus when a School Resource Officer located a loaded, glock-style gun in the student’s backpack. SROs are also Sacramento Police Department officers contracted to work on high school campuses.

The student’s backpack was reportedly searched after he was overheard making comments referring to the use of a firearm. The gun was not seen by other students, those sources said.

“(The student) was safely detained and no force was used,” Chandler told The Natomas Buzz on Friday.

Chandler confirmed that Natomas High School was not placed on lockdown during the incident, adding that no additional information was releasable due to the student’s age.

An email sent by the Natomas Unified School District on Saturday morning, apologized to Natomas High families for not notifying them of the incident on Friday.

“Yesterday a student notified school staff that they heard another student make a comment regarding possession of a weapon. School administration responded quickly per our protocols, and after a search of the student’s belongings by our School Resource Officers, a loaded handgun was recovered with one bullet,” reads the email. “The student was immediately arrested and taken into custody. We want to thank the student, who quickly shared this information with staff, for making the right decision.”

Natomas High School administration plans to hold a meeting with school staff and teachers Monday morning to discuss the incident.

*Updated with information from email sent to Natomas High families on Saturday, May 14.