Report of Handgun Brought to Round Valley High School Leads to Juvenile Arrest
This is a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On 01/06/2026 at approximately 12:03 P.M., the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a Round Valley High School official regarding a juvenile subject who reportedly brought a firearm to the school.
Sheriff’s Deputies working Patrol in Covelo immediately contacted the school official on the telephone to obtain additional investigative information.
The school official informed Sheriff’s Deputies they received information that a 15-year-old male juvenile brought a firearm to the school. Sheriff’s Deputies learned the school was not in session due to the lunch hour and the juvenile in question was likely not on school campus at the time, so they obtained a general description and clothing information to search the surrounding area for the subject.
Sheriff’s Deputies and Round Valley Tribal Police Officers began canvassing the surrounding area for the subject.
On 01/06/2026 at approximately 12:30 P.M., the male juvenile was observed walking westbound in the 23600 block of Greely Street in Covelo, CA. This area was determined to be approximately 150 yards east of the high school, so law enforcement immediately contacted the juvenile to investigate this incident.
When approaching the subject, Sheriff’s Deputies observed the juvenile reaching towards his front sweatshirt pocket. Due to the nature of this investigation and reports the juvenile was armed with a firearm, he was detained and immediately searched for weapons. The Sheriff’s Deputies felt what they believed to be the grip portion of a firearm in the front waistband of the juvenile’s clothing.
Sheriff’s Deputies placed the juvenile in handcuffs and removed a handgun from the front waistband area of the juvenile’s clothing. The handgun was determined to be a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Sheriff’s Deputies discovered there were 10 live .380 cartridges loaded in the handgun magazine.
When performing a records check on the .380 caliber handgun, Sheriff’s Deputies determined the firearm had been reported stolen from Santa Rosa, CA.
Based on the circumstances of this investigation, the 15-year-old male juvenile was advised and placed under arrest for 29610(a) PC – Minor in possession of a handgun, and 25850(a) PC – Carrying a loaded firearm in public. The juvenile was transported and lodged at the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall for the above charges.
The Sheriff’s Office provided information to the Round Valley High School officials, so they were aware of the circumstances of this investigation and arrest of the juvenile who reportedly brought a firearm to the school.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086 (option 1).
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Was he a student at that school? Was there a cartridge in the chamber. How did he come into possession of that pistol. What were his intentions? So many questions.
What I wonder is what brought this student to a point where he felt compelled to do something like this. Was he bullied? What was the school dynamic? What made him feel so powerless, unheard, or afraid that this became the path he chose? Situations like this don’t emerge out of nowhere. They’re almost always the result of months or even years of unaddressed problems ,social, emotional, institutional,that slowly accumulate until something breaks.
When schools overlook warning signs, minimize student concerns, or fail to create a culture where young people feel safe speaking up, the pressure can build silently. A student doesn’t wake up one morning and suddenly make a drastic choice; it’s usually the end point of feeling isolated, dismissed, or unsupported for far too long. I am not excusing this but incidents like these don’t happen in a vacuum.
You did see where this happened…correct!?
Agree. And I’m usually here calling for strict penalties for violent crime. But he’s still a kid and there’s still a chance to turn him around. And he didn’t shoot anybody. Yet! Yeah- scary stuff tho for sure. This kid needs some serious therapy and talking to BOTH! Maybe he’s a psycho but maybe just a stupid kid reacting to some crap thrown at him…
Incidents like this don’t happen in a vacuum as you mentioned. However, I want to point out that focusing only on schools as the catalyst for this behavior is short sided. Schools are not the only place where students are exposed to social constructs, and often schools get the short end of the stick for being responsible for all of the woes of society. They are ridiculously underfunded, understaffed, and under resourced, yet are expected to work miracles.
Other factors like family dynamics and pre-existing mental health issues also affect students’ behavior. RVHS is working diligently — with the resources available to them — to create a positive, respectful culture. Any meaningful change happens slowly and often behind the scenes.
I’m not trying to throw shade, but its so frustrating to constantly watch the finger pointing happen at institutions that are inherently designed to fail.
I’m really hoping that this kid gets some support/counseling/services/etc that allows for changes in behavior.
I agree with much of what you said, but this incident involves a weapon being brought onto school grounds. As you noted, there is a real need for both the institution and the students to receive better support. Maybe it’s time for Northern California to take a deeper look at funding, mental health services, teacher and staff training, family support, and other resources in our rural areas. Incidents like these reflect a collective failure. When someone this young is making these kinds of decisions, it points to a cultural problem that all of us share responsibility for.
You may be overthinking it. When I was in HS (late 60s in upscale New England) I carried a 32 ACP under my jacket simply because I could and at the time it seemed kewl.
I remember a time when every pick up truck in the parking lot had a gun on the gun racks of the back window.