STUDENT ARRESTED AFTER BRINGING BB REPLICA FIREARM TO SCHOOL IN SPRING VALLEY

East County News Service

October 22, 2024 (Spring Valley) -- A juvenile has been arrested on suspicion of threatening another student and bringing a replica firearm (BB gun) to an East County magnet school yesterday.

On Monday, October 21, just before 2:30 p.m., the Sheriff's Communications Center received a call about a school threat at STEAM Academy, located in the 1000 block of Leland Street in Spring Valley. Within minutes, deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station arrived at the school.

School administrators told deputies they had identified the suspect, who was also a student at STEAM Academy. The juvenile had already been located and sent to the school office.

“Out of an abundance of caution, school administrators and deputies made the decision just before 3:00 p.m. to place STEAM Academy on secure campus status. When a school is in secure campus status, students and staff are kept indoors. Classroom instruction can continue as long as doors are locked, says Lt.Michael Gonzalez with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept.

Additional deputies from the Lemon Grove and Imperial Beach Sheriff's Substations, as well as Sheriff's Explosives Detection K-9s, were called in to conduct a thorough room-by-room search of the campus.    

During their search, deputies found a replica BB gun. Secure campus status was lifted around 5:00 p.m. That is when school staff began releasing students to their parents.

The suspect was arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall for criminal threats and openly displaying/exposing a replica firearm in a public place.

It is the policy of the San Diego County Sheriff's Office not to release information about minors. The investigation is currently ongoing.

“The safety of our school children is a priority for the Sheriff's Office. We take all threats seriously,” says Lt. Gonzalez. “We want to remind students that if they hear any threats or even potential violence, they can always approach our Sheriff's School Resource Deputies or call the anonymous Student Speaking Out Hotline at (888) 580-8477.”