Two Los Angeles Unified high school students were reportedly found carrying guns in their backpacks on campus this week, bringing the number of firearms found in Los Angeles schools to four since the school year began on Aug. 12.
Additionally, a shooting last week injured a 17-year-old boy just outside Granada Hills Charter High School, a public school that is in Los Angeles Unified territory but is not operated by the district. During the first week of school, a student was stabbed on the campus of another high school. The youths who were shot and stabbed were hospitalized, but their injuries are not life-threatening, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The violence and gun seizures come amid an ongoing debate over campus safety — including the role of school police, who were banned from Los Angeles campuses following student and community activism after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd in 2020. A much-reduced Los Angeles School Police force currently patrols near schools and enters a campus only to address an emergency, conduct an investigation or make an arrest.
“The safety of our students and campuses is our top priority,” School Operations Chief Andres Chait said in a statement to the Times. “Los Angeles Unified has made tremendous strides in promoting a culture of situational awareness and safety, and partnering with the Los Angeles School Police Department, local law enforcement and municipalities to provide coverage and timeliness. We are continually reviewing and refining our safety protocols.”
Authorities have used the recent incidents to draw attention to the Los Angeles schools’ anonymous reporting app, LASAR, which they say “allows the Los Angeles school community to anonymously report suspicious activity, mental health incidents, drug use, drug trafficking, vandalism and other safety concerns.”
The most recent gun incident occurred Tuesday, when an administrator reportedly found an unloaded semi-automatic pistol in the backpack of a ninth-grade boy at John C. Fremont High School in South Los Angeles.
The gun was recovered following a tip from a neighborhood resident who said he saw the student walk to school holding the gun and then put it in his backpack, according to reports from district sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the incident.
Administrators located the student on campus and found the gun while searching his backpack, then called school police to make the arrest, the sources said.
District officials sent a notice about the incident to the school community Tuesday afternoon.
“Today, after a community member alerted staff to a safety concern, administrative staff recovered an unloaded handgun from a student,” Fremont High School Principal Blanca Esquivel said in a message. “The Los Angeles School Police Department has taken the student into custody. The matter will be further investigated by school police.”
“The school day ran on time and without interruption to instruction,” the principal added. “As a precautionary measure, school police will provide additional patrols and support on campus for the remainder of the week.”
The day before, at George Washington Preparatory High School, also in South Los Angeles, administrators reportedly found an unloaded semi-automatic pistol and a 21-round magazine during a search. According to a police source familiar with the investigation, carrying the weapon, as equipped, is illegal in California.
Campus officials called school police, and the student, 18, was arrested as an adult on a gun charge, said district sources who were also not authorized to speak about the incident. The student reportedly told officers he needed the gun to protect himself from physical attacks on the way to campus.
A message from the school to families confirmed key details.
“Today, a disturbing social media post led to an administrative search of a student in possession of an unloaded firearm and separate ammunition,” said Superintendent Tony Booker. “The Los Angeles School Police Department arrested the student.”
“The matter will be further investigated by school police and the Los Angeles Police Department,” Booker added. “During the remainder of the week, school police will provide support on campus and in the community.”
Last year, a Washington Prep student was fatally shot just blocks from campus. The alleged shooter on April 15 apparently carried the gun for protection and drew it after being attacked by a group of fellow students, according to law enforcement sources.
Less than 10 seconds into the fight, Elijah McGinnis III, 15, collapsed from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The student accused of firing the gun is a minor and the case is being handled in juvenile court.
This fall, three days after the start of the school year, a student was stabbed at Benjamin Franklin Senior High School in Highland Park during a preseason football game. The student, who was visiting from another school, did not suffer life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made, according to the LAPD.
The next day, at Sylmar High School, police seized a loaded handgun that had apparently been abandoned during a fight.
On August 19, a student was reportedly found with an unloaded handgun at Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda.
Last Thursday’s shooting at Granada Hills Charter School happened near campus around 9:15 p.m. among a group of students who had gathered for a football game with LAUSD’s Franklin High School.
A student was shot in the foot, according to sources close to the investigation who were not authorized to comment.
Granada Hills is a private charter school, not operated by LA Unified, but the campus is owned by the district. The school has a contract with the Los Angeles School Police Department to provide an officer during the school day, according to sources within the department.
Granada Hills school officials did not respond to a request for comment.
However, the morning after the shooting, the Franklin High School principal sent a message to the Franklin school community reporting “an off-campus incident that occurred during yesterday’s football game against Granada Hills Charter.”
“One person was injured by gunshot wounds at an off-campus location during the game,” the statement said. “The Los Angeles School Police Department provided assistance and support on campus to ensure the game continued safely. No Franklin High School students were involved in the off-campus incident.”
