Police in Santa Rosa arrested a 16-year-old male student on the Elsie Allen High School campus Thursday afternoon after he was allegedly found with a firearm and ammunition, authorities confirmed.
According to a news release from the Santa Rosa Police Department, police received a 9-1-1 call around 1:15 p.m. Thursday from an Elsie Allen High school administrator reporting that a student had been found on campus in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Police were told the student was being held in a school office by multiple administrators.
Officers entered the office and immediately took the student into custody. The firearm had already been seized and secured by school administrators before the officers arrived. Police confirmed the firearm was a genuine, unregistered FN 509 9mm pistol. The student, a 16-year-old male currently attending Elsie Allen High School, was not identified due to his age.
Officers learned that school administrators were already investigating a possible gang-related graffiti incident on campus involving the same student. During their investigation, the student was taken to the office. A search of the student’s backpack was conducted and an employee found a small bag containing the handgun and a loaded 24-round magazine. Administrators followed standard safety protocols, secured the student and the firearm, and immediately contacted the Santa Rosa Police Department.
The police posted a photo of the student’s gun and bullets on X.
Police praised the quick actions taken by Elsie Allen High School administrators to ensure the safety of students and staff. The student was then transported to Juvenile Hall and charged with three charges: possession of a loaded handgun on campus, possession of an unregistered handgun and being a minor in possession of a handgun.
The Santa Rosa Police Department has addressed a number of gun and gang-related issues in schools over the past year. Last month, officers issued an arrest warrant for a 14-year-old boy who learned he was going to shoot up his high school. He was later found with a box cutter on campus.
At the end of August, a 14-year-old student was arrested after allegedly stabbing a 13-year-old student during a fight at Elsie Allen High. That followed an incident in June in which two Elsie Allen High School students were arrested allegedly assaulting and robbing a 16-year-old boy in a school bathroom. The incident is believed to be gang-related.
Earlier this year, a 16-year-old boy, who was apparently drunk, was arrested after him allegedly threatened a Montgomery High School student while brandishing a knife. Montgomery High has been the site of several violent incidents, including the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old in a classroom in March 2023.
The problem of increased gang violence among Santa Rosa’s youth has led to the re-establishment of the police department’s Gang Crimes Team.
The release emphasized that weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited on school grounds by the Santa Rosa Police Department and Santa Rosa City Schools. Students who bring weapons to campus will face disciplinary action from school administrators and may be arrested.
Parents are urged to talk to their children about the serious consequences of owning weapons, including replica weapons, on school grounds, at home or in the community.
Police also noted that all middle and high schools in the Santa Rosa City Schools District use the STOPit app, which allows information to be shared instantly and anonymously with school administrators. Students can submit anonymous tips and upload photos and videos through the app, which are immediately received by designated school officials.
