City of Santa Rosa, CA, CivicReady Public Safety Alerts & Notifications
SRPD News Release: Fight Leads to Stabbing on High School Campus
Fight Leads to Stabbing on High School Campus
On Friday, August 30, 2024, at approximately 12:28 pm, the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) received a 911 call from a school administrator at Elsie Allen High School, located at 599 Bellevue Avenue, Santa Rosa. The SRPD Communications Dispatcher was advised there had been a fight between several students, during which, one student was stabbed with a knife. At the time of the call, the student who had been stabbed was in the Administration Office under the care of school staff, and a school employee was supervising the student who committed the stabbing in an empty classroom.
SRPD officers and medical personnel responded to the school. The student who had been stabbed was transported to an area hospital by ambulance to be treated for a minor stab wound to his lower back. The student who received the stab wound is a 13-year-old male student at Elsie Allen High School. Officers detained the 14-year-old male student who committed the stabbing and collected the knife, which had been secured by a school employee.
A preliminary investigation determined the two students encountered each other in a quad area outside of classrooms during a break between classes. The boys exchanged challenges to fight and then began pushing each other. After the initial pushing, one of the boys produced a folding knife and the two boys began punching each other. During this exchange of punches, the other student was stabbed one time in his lower back. The two boys fell to the ground and continued to fight. Two additional male students believed to be friends of the boy who had been stabbed joined the fight and began repeatedly kicking the student with the knife in the head.
School employees immediately rushed to where the fight was occurring, at which point, all four boys began running away. The student who had committed the stabbing was contacted by a school employee and taken to an empty classroom to separate him from other students. The student who had been stabbed was initially unaware of his injury and walked to the office to seek medical help after discovering the severity of his injury.
One of the other two students who had been witnessed kicking the other student in the head was identified by school employees and brought to the office. School employees and SRPD detectives are currently working together to identify the fourth and only outstanding involved student.
Based on information learned in the preliminary investigation, officers believed this fight was gang-related. Detectives with the SRPD Gang Crimes Team responded and assumed the investigation. Detectives determined all four students committed serious felony assaults.
The 14-year-old male student who committed the stabbing was arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall for the following offenses:
245(a)(1) PC: Assault with a deadly weapon, knife
626.10(a)(1) PC: Possession of a knife on a school campus
The 13-year-old male student who received the stab wound was cited and released to his parents at the hospital for the following offenses:
245(a)(4) PC: Assault with a deadly weapon, kicking to the head
186.22(b)(1) PC: Gang crime enhancement; committing a felony to benefit a criminal street gang
The 14-year-old student identified as one of the students who had kicked the other student in the head multiple times was arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall for the following offenses:
245(a)(4) PC: Assault with a deadly weapon, kicking to the head
186.22(b)(1) PC: Gang crime enhancement; committing a felony to benefit a criminal street gang
The fourth student involved is still unidentified and not in custody at the time of this release.
Due to the ages of the involved students, their names or other identifying details will not be released. At the time of this release, the student who had been stabbed was still hospitalized in stable condition for his non-life-threatening injury.
The Santa Rosa Police Department is committed to working with our school district, the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership, and other community resources to ensure a safe school environment for all students in Santa Rosa. Elsie Allen High School staff quickly worked to isolate the involved students, and police officers arrived on the scene within six minutes. Chief John Cregan’s goal is to work to address the underlying issues that resulted in a 14-year-old student coming to school armed with a knife. “We must have a renewed focus on the root causes of these issues, instead of continuing to simply respond to the symptoms which can manifest in deadly encounters,” states Chief Cregan, “The police department will continue to make school safety a top priority as we enter this new school year. Superintendent Daisy Morales and I are speaking regularly and working collaboratively together to support our shared mission of safe campuses for all students.”
This incident is still being actively investigated. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the SRPD Gang Crimes Team tip line at 707-543-4021 or through our online tip line at www.srcity.org/CrimeTips.
Santa Rosa Police Department case number 24-10353.
Media inquiries can be made to Sgt. Patricia Seffens at 707-543-3634 or pseffens@srcity.org.
