Stolen Gun Used In Ridgway High School Shooting: Santa Rosa PD

SANTA ROSA, CA — The gun authorities believe was used in Tuesday's shooting at Ridgway High School has been found, the Santa Rosa Police Department said. The firearm, a .32-caliber Ruger revolver, was found after investigators developed information that it was driven more than 3 miles away from the school by a student and discarded in a row of bushes along Brittain Lane in Santa Rosa, SRPD Capt. John Cregan said in a news release.

"Detectives searched the area and were able to locate the firearm hidden in the bushes," Cregan said. "The investigation is still continuing to determine the knowledge and intent of the student who fled with the firearm."

A 17-year-old Ridgway High student is accused of shooting a 16-year-old fellow student just before 9 a.m. Tuesday in front of the school at 325 Ridgway Avenue.

The victim suffered two gunshot wounds to his abdomen, police said. The injured boy was taken by a friend to a local hospital where, according to SRPD, he was listed in stable condition.

The suspected shooter was taken into custody in a classroom at the school during a lockdown that also encompassed neighboring Santa Rosa High School and Santa Rosa Junior College.

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According to police, the firearm found on Brittain Lane held six rounds of ammunition, with two spent cartridges that had been fired and four live rounds.

"This is consistent with the investigation which indicated that the suspect fired two rounds from the handgun at the victim," Cregan said.

Police have since learned the gun was reported stolen in a 2016 residential burglary in the city of Santa Rosa.

Investigators now believe, based on witness statements, that "the victim and the suspect have affiliation with criminal street gangs," Cregan said.

"The victim and the suspect were involved in an ongoing dispute that culminated in the violent altercation that took place in front of the school," Cregan said.

Following the shooting, the Santa Rosa Police Department says it has increased the number of uniformed patrol officers near schools within the city.

"We have a team of five dedicated School Resource Officers who patrol the campuses of our schools on a daily basis," Cregan said. "Our officers are working closely with school officials to ensure that all students in our community have a safe learning environment that is free from threats of violence."

Cregan said the shooting was "an isolated incident of violence," and that there was no evidence the suspect planned any other acts of violence against other students at the school.