Santa Rosa high school student arrested for bringing hunting knife to campus
SANTA ROSA – As Santa Rosa school students and parents express frustration over recent campus violence, including a deadly stabbing, police said a teen brought a hunting knife to school Tuesday.
Around 9:20 a.m., officers were called to the Amarosa Academy on Dutton Avenue.
When officers arrived, they met with an administrator who said school policy was to check all students' backpacks before they entered campus. The administrator told police that they found a large hunting knife in the backpack of a 15-year-old student.
According to police, the knife was in its sheath and was concealed in a plastic lining of a binder in a backpack.
Police arrested the 15-year-old student, who was then booked into the Sonoma County Juvenile Justice Center on felony possession of a dangerous weapon on campus. The teen's name is being withheld due to their age.
On Wednesday, police said it was not known why the teen brought the knife to school.
The announcement comes as parents and students raise complaints about lack of safety in Santa Rosa schools in the wake of last week's deadly stabbing at Montgomery High School.
According to authorities, a 15-year-old stabbed two 16-year-olds during a confrontation inside a classroom on March 1. One of the teens, identified as Jayden Pienta, died from his wounds, while the other 16-year-old is expected to survive.
The stabbing suspect is facing felony charges, including voluntary manslaughter and bringing a knife onto school grounds.
Also on that day, Santa Rosa Police were called to Maria Carillo High School on reports of a teen who brought a handgun onto campus. The suspect, only identified as a 16-year-old male, was later booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of possessing a firearm on campus and obstructing / delaying a police officer.
Following the incidents, students at high schools across Santa Rosa staged walkouts, protesting what they said were failures by school administrators to address ongoing problems with violence and bullying.
On Tuesday, officials held a listening session, where students and parents from schools all over the city demanded increased protection and increased transparency from the district.