Righetti High student arrested on campus with loaded handgun Wednesday

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A School Resource Deputy assigned to Righetti High arrested a student Wednesday and the teen was found to have a loaded handgun in his possession while on campus.

On April 22, around 11:50 a.m., School Resource Deputy Reynoso alongside officers with the Santa Maria Police Department contacted a student under the authority of a Ramey warrant in connection with an ongoing investigation stated a press release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

The 18-year-old student was taken into custody and it was found that he was in possession of a loaded handgun while on campus detailed the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

"The incident began after the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) asked to speak to a student regarding an ongoing investigation that was unrelated to the school," shared Kenny Klein, a spokesperson for the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. "A school administrator escorted the student from his classroom to a waiting School Resource Deputy (SRD) from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. As the SRD prepared the student for transport to meet with SMPD officers off-campus, a standard search was conducted. During this search, the officer discovered and immediately secured a loaded handgun. No other students or staff were present in the immediate area when the weapon was located. The student was arrested without incident and removed from campus. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. We are working closely with law enforcement to ensure all appropriate legal and disciplinary actions are taken. We remain committed to maintaining a safe learning environment for our entire school community. Counseling services are being made available to any students or staff members who may require support."

The teen was transported to the Northern Branch Jail and booked on a felony charge of possession of a firearm on school grounds and additional charges related to his initial Ramey warrant are expected to be filed as part of the Santa Maria Police Department's ongoing investigation shared the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, the incident was addressed quickly and safely enough to not require a lockdown of the campus.