Men ‘flashed’ gun at Berkeley High students Friday, then left campus
Two adult men approached a group of pupils on the Berkeley High Faculty campus Friday morning, flashed a gun and then remaining, authorities report.
The adult males ended up “looking for a certain pupil,” according to an electronic mail BHS Principal Juan Raygoza sent to the university community just ahead of 9:20 p.m. Friday, about 13 hrs right after the males arrived to campus. The e-mail was titled, “Communication on Serious Incident Today.”
According to law enforcement, the guys — whose identities are unfamiliar — “confronted a few BHS students on campus and brandished/flashed a firearm at them” at about 8:30 a.m. The men then walked off campus towards Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Bancroft Way and did not return, authorities claimed. BPD did not say what prompted the adult males to find out the student.
Just after the interaction, according to the principal’s e-mail — which seems underneath — a pupil reported the interaction to a campus safety guard who right away alerted Raygoza.
“We rapidly took actions to guarantee the protection of the college student in issue as properly as our entire campus community,” Raygoza stated in the e mail. “I up to date our protection officers and directors ideal absent, and we secured our campus gates. With the exception of a person pedestrian gate, all other faculty gates were closed.”
BHS staff members monitored the open gate closely, the principal wrote, and law enforcement responded to the location as effectively.
“BPD officers arrived immediately and commenced patrolling the local community and searching for this individual,” the principal wrote. “Officers also monitored our perimeter all over the college working day. All BHS directors and safety officers amplified lively supervision of the campus.”
As of Monday, no a single had been arrested in connection with the incident and the gentlemen had not been identified, police mentioned. BPD did not immediately have obtain to information with regards to any recent stories of guns on campus, but Berkeleyside will update this story if it becomes out there.
Principal Raygoza’s e-mail appears underneath as originally written. See the message in Spanish on the BHS Etree internet site.
Dear BHS Pupils and People,
Make sure you do not reply to this message. If you have thoughts, remember to make contact with BHS Principal Juan Raygoza at [email protected].
I’m composing to provide you with facts about a major incident that occured on campus this early morning. Prior to the start of 1st interval, a pupil documented to a safety officer that two non-college student adults came onto campus searching for a unique scholar. They approached a group of learners and then left campus prior to the commence of 1st period of time. They did not return. We are doing work with the Berkeley Law enforcement Office (BPD) to look into a report that throughout their quick conversation with our learners, one of the older people flashed a gun.
The Security Officer who been given the preliminary report promptly arrived to my office, and I contacted our BPD School Source Officer Geoff Mitchell. We rapidly took measures to ensure the protection of the scholar in question as well as our whole campus community. I up to date our safety officers and directors proper absent, and we secured our campus gates. With the exception of one particular pedestrian gate, all other university gates had been shut. The just one open pedestrian gate was staffed by an administrator and protection team. Other BPD officers arrived promptly and started patrolling the local community and seeking for this particular person. Officers also monitored our perimeter during the school day. All BHS administrators and basic safety officers elevated energetic supervision of the campus.
All through the working day, we actively labored to make certain the safety of all of our learners and personnel. We did not consider that there was a threat to our pupils and staff members, provided that the folks still left campus. Nonetheless, we secured our perimeter for the remainder of the school working day with the aid of our basic safety officers, directors, and BPD. This problem has become a law enforcement issue at this position.
The protection of our learners and personnel is a leading priority at BHS. I am saddened by this disruption to studying and deeply concerned about non-pupils coming into our campus in any threatening fashion. I am grateful to our staff members and to BPD for their deep dedication to campus safety, and to our college students who remained engaged in mastering through the day.
Thank you.
Highlighted photograph: Nancy Rubin