Student arrested with loaded gun at Pajaro Valley High School

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV)- Watsonville Police said they were sent to Pajaro Valley High School Friday morning for reports of a student possibly armed.

Just before 11 a.m., school officials called the police about a 17-year-old student. Within minutes School Resource Officer's assigned to Watsonville High arrived and detained the student. Inside their backpack, a loaded gun was found.

Police said this case is still under investigation. Police added that the school district has also sent notices to parents.

The student was arrested and taken to Santa Cruz Juvenile Hall.

The following statement was sent out to parents about the incident:

This is Consuelo Mason, your Principal contacting you to let you know that this morning we were made aware of a potential threat on campus. Upon receipt and confirmation of this information, I immediately contacted our Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent to initiate our Threat Assessment Protocol. This process included the immediate contact of Watsonville Police Department (WPD). A search was conducted by WPD and a firearm was found in the student’s backpack. The student was detained and taken into custody. Please know that our campus is safe and instructions resumed as normal.

Your child’s safety is extremely important to the PVHS staff and we will continue to investigate all possible threats on campus and involve law enforcement when necessary. Campus safety continues to be a priority for us and we take every incident seriously. We will continue to inform families when our campus is experiencing a threat. This incident was managed quickly by site administration and WPD.

Please know that we adhere to both PVUSD Board policies, California Ed. Code, and penal codes when it comes to managing and responding to student safety. If you or your child are aware of information regarding campus safety, we ask that families use our STOPit app. You can find information on how to download and use the app on our website.

If you have additional questions or concerns regarding your student or general campus safety procedures, please contact our main office.

Principal Consuelo Mason