High school students are feeling rattled after three people made their way onto San Ramon’s California High School campus and attacked another student in a math class.
The incident was captured on camera, and it has prompted calls for stepped-up security.
The incident took place in an algebra class Monday at the end of the school day. One student who was in that classroom said they had just finished a math worksheet when chaos broke out
“Honestly, yesterday was a little bit scary. I don't really understand how that can happen, you know? Especially because everyone was scared, you know?” said student Abby West.
The district superintendent said some Cal High students let the attackers onto campus.
“Even though we take the safety of our students very seriously, and our parameter is usually quite secure, unfortunately, students from the school allowed those students from a different school onto the campus,” said Dr. John Malloy, San Ramon Valley superintendent.
“I believe it’s very unsettling knowing that students from off-campus and not a part of our school managed to come onto our school and managed to get into the farthest part of our school campus without getting questioned by any admin and just managed to walk into a classroom without being detected,” said student Zailey Fogelman.
Local
Students and parents say the incident has left them very shaken and worried. Some say they no longer feel safe.
“I'm scared for my kid at school, and the safety of the kids on campus is critically important,” said parent Judy Yeah.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
“School should be a safe place and knowing that things like this can happen on a supposedly safe school ground is still very unsettling, still knowing this stuff on TV can happen to you,” said Fogelman.
San Ramon police say they’ve identified all three of the teenagers who now face criminal charges. The superintendent said the school has identified the kids who let them in and they too face consequences. He said the school district is taking steps to strengthen campus security.
“This is very concerning, and again, what we will do is to ensure that we work with our community to strengthen existing protocols so that something like this doesn’t happen again,” said Malloy.
Students said they can’t help but think the situation could have been much worse and said their sense of safety has been broken.
A student who was in the classroom said he heard the attackers saying the kid they were after had been talking bad about one of their moms. He said the incident was terrifying to watch.
