Second Incident of Gunfire at Elementary School

Second Incident of Gunfire at Elementary School

This is the second time in three weeks that gunfire damage has occurred at the campus, according to school district officials.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • November 30, 2017

Surveillance cameras at Booksin Elementary School in San Jose, Calif., were damaged by gunfire early Tuesday morning. This is the second time in three weeks that gunfire damage has occurred at the campus, according to school district officials.

The incident took place at about 4 a.m., according to San Jose police. Karen Scherrer, who lives across the street from the campus, said she called 911 after waking up to the sound of a gunshot. She then chased after the gunman while on the phone with dispatchers.

“I wanted to get a good look at him and give a good description,” Scherrer said. Unfortunately, he moved too quickly and she was unable to get a look at his face, she said.

San Jose police searched house-by-house in the surrounding neighborhood but were unable to locate the suspect. However, the police located a gun in a backyard and are working to determine if it was the weapon used in the shooting, according to San Jose police officer Gina Tepoorten.

Police found that two of the school’s surveillance cameras had been shot and damaged but were not destroyed, according to Peter Allen, a spokesman for the San Jose Unified School District.

School officials were given the OK by police to hold classes as usual Tuesday. Allen said students would be kept inside “out of an abundance of caution.”

“Any time you have a gun near campus, parents are completely justified in being concerned,” Allen said. “We’re concerned too. Their community and neighborhood is our community and neighborhood.”

The school notified parents about the incident Tuesday morning and indicated that San Jose police would be present and monitoring the campus that day.

“We’re doing everything we can to keep things secure,” Allen said. “The best thing we can do is prepare and be ready to respond should a more serious incident occur.”

A suspect was arrested late Tuesday in connection with the incident, but police have not identified them.

The incident comes within three weeks of a similar incident of camera-damaging gunfire. The first incident took place over the Veteran’s Day weekend. Police are reviewing surveillance footage of both incidents to determine whether the shootings are connected, Allen said.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

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