Watsonville community concerned about teen safety

To help parents stay informed about Watsonville High School, the campus holds regular town hall meetings. On Wednesday night, the topic was campus and community safety. School officials said it’s an important conversation especially after a teenager was shot just 24 hours ago.

“Sometimes some of our students don’t want to attend after school programs because they don’t feel safe walking home when it’s darker at night,” said school counselor Joann Ruiz.

Ruiz said students generally feel safe at schoolit’s off campus where theydon’t feel safe.

On Tuesday night, a 14-year-old was shot multiple times down the street from the high school.

“That could have been me and it’s really scary. It could have been one of my family members,” said student Stephanie Dhavalt.

Police said the investigation is ongoing. Watsonville police Lt. Jorge Zamora said it’s important for parents and teens to be aware and understand law enforcement is trying to help.

“Our goal today (Wednesday) is to really educate them and really explain what the resources are if they are scared, if they don’t feel safe, or if they do witness something because there are programs and resources out there to make them feel safe,” said Zamora.

Police said the teen shot was not a student at Watsonville High School, but school leaders like Ruiz said students and teachers are still feeling the pain.

“Anytime I hear of a situation with a young person, one of my first thoughts is ‘did I know this student? It’s just kind of, you know, a really sad, kind of scary feeling to have,” said Ruiz.