Police cited a student last week after receiving information that they brought a weapon (possibly an airsoft gun) to school and showed it to another student about two months ago.
On Friday, March 24, 2023, at about 11:28 a.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from administrators at Palo Alto High School at 50 Embarcadero Road reporting a suspicious circumstance where, according to other students, a student had posted images of her holding a handgun on Instagram and may have in fact brought the weapon to school in the past as well. Police responded and began investigating in close collaboration with school officials.
The investigation revealed that the student in question, a 15-year-old female, had posted two images on Instagram showing her holding what appeared to be a black handgun. One of the images was dated in December 2022. The images had since been taken down. Officers interviewed the student as well as multiple others with knowledge of the situation. Based on those interviews, police believe the weapon may have been an airsoft gun that belonged to a relative of the student and that it was possible the images had been digitally altered to remove the orange tip, or the orange tip had been removed. Police received information that at one point about two months ago, the student had brought the weapon onto campus and let a classmate hold it while in a school bathroom.
Officers cited the student for possession of a weapon on a school campus (a misdemeanor) and released her to the custody of a family member. Police searched the student’s home and did not locate the weapon, which is currently believed to be out of state in the custody of the relative who owned it. In accordance with our standard release of information procedures, no additional information on the suspect is available since she is under the age of 18.
Police praise the students who came forward to report what they had seen online, as well as other students who cooperated and assisted with the ensuing investigation. The importance of the common mantra of “If you see something, say something” cannot be overemphasized. In order to maintain a safe environment at school for students and staff alike, students with information about others possibly in possession of weapons should immediately report that immediately to police, a school official, or another trusted adult.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.
