SANTA ROSA, Calif. On Thursday, detectives investigated a confrontation between three Northern California high school students, culminating in one fatally stabbing the other in front of more than two dozen classmates.
A 15-year-old freshman was arrested for homicide and other crimes after a fatal stabbing in an art classroom at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa, California, on Wednesday. Police reported a 16-year-old junior’s death and injury.
Santa Rosa, noted for its vineyards 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) north of San Francisco, was stunned by the attack, and several surrounding schools were locked down while police sought the young suspect.
Weeklong school closure. According to the Press-Democrat, Principal Adam Paulson termed the stabbing “the saddest day anyone can recall at Montgomery High” in a message to parents, students, and the school community.
According to Santa Rosa police, 16-year-old Jayden Jess Pienta died. Junior. A 16-year-old survived the stabbing. The violence left Jayden’s stepfather, Tom Lenwell, reeling.
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“I’m hurt. I’m sad. I’m never going to see Jayden again,” Lenwell told reporters. “I won’t be able to joke and laugh with him. Those days are gone.”
On Thursday, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Christopher Mahurin said investigators are interviewing the 27 pupils, instructors, and aides. The New Vintage Church prayed for the school Thursday morning.
Mahurin said police would be on campus Monday when school reopens. Some parents said they wanted to learn more about the school’s intentions and will urge the school board regarding children’s safety at next week’s meeting.
“I don’t feel like the school district’s had any response,” Libby Dalton, whose sophomore son is 16. “They canceled school for two days, but what’s next? How are they going to keep our kids safe after that?”
Dalton said parents felt “fear, rage, and a lot of frustration” after a student brought a pistol to school last year. Police say the two juniors entered the classroom and fought the freshman. Once teachers broke up the fight, the freshman allegedly stabbed the juniors with a knife.
But the three upperclassmen appear to have known each other and battled before; Mahurin said police have not yet determined why they started the fight. Dalton claimed her kid knew the students, but they weren’t in his grade, and she didn’t know what started the war.
“There’s a lot of fights at Montgomery,” she added. “They have that culture there that they fight. The kids fight there. They pick on each other, try to stand up for themselves, and then end up suspended.”
She stated her son was suspended for a day after fighting back in the locker room.
“There’s no discipline for the bullies,” she said. “I don’t know what happened between those three boys, but they don’t support the kids that get picked on.”
Although the 15-year-old freshman is a juvenile, Santa Rosa police have not revealed his name. He was arrested for homicide, attempted homicide, and carrying a firearm on campus. He was also charged with school-campus battery.
After fleeing class, the kid was arrested Wednesday in a stream bed. His legal representation was unclear. The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office didn’t comment on Thursday’s prospective charges.
“This is truly a sad day. The tragedy here today is heartbreaking,” Anna Trunnell, the Santa Rosa City Schools superintendent, announced at a news conference.
At the news conference, some students voiced safety concerns and wondered why school administrators didn’t do more to halt the students’ actions despite knowing there were issues between the three teens. Officials left without responding.
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Authorities previously stated that no Santa Rosa City Schools District sites have metal detectors or police officers. Thursday morning’s district website and social media platforms didn’t mention the violence. Montgomery High School’s Facebook page disappeared.
Thursday, Santa Rosa City School District spokeswoman Vanessa Wedderburn and high school administrator Paulson did not respond to calls or emails.
The Press-Democrat reported last week that Montgomery High School, Santa Rosa’s second-largest school with over 1,600 pupils, needs urgent renovations.
According to pupils, the 1958 school has exposed wires dangling from the ceilings in halls, deteriorating wooden skirting around the base of old portable classrooms, and a shortage of bathrooms.
Lisa Cavin, Santa Rosa City Schools’ associate superintendent of business services, told the newspaper that persistent vandalism diverts revenue and the system hasn’t had the funds for various projects.