After deadly parking lot shooting, Fairfield High relocates its graduation ceremony
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fairfield High graduation was moved to Armijo after the Sem Yeto shooting.
- Each graduating senior will receive a maximum of six tickets due to reduced seating.
- Fairfield police increased graduation security and requested public tips and footage.
Fairfield High School’s graduation was moved to Armijo High School after a fatal shooting outside Sem Yeto High School’s commencement ceremony Wednesday night, school officials said.
Police said an 18-year-old was killed and three other people were wounded after being shot in a parking lot outside Sem Yeto about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday. Sem Yeto is directly adjacent to and shares a parking lot with Fairfield High.
Fairfield’s commencement will still take place at its scheduled time, 6 p.m. Friday, with gates opening at 4:30 p.m. However, students will walk at the Armijo High School football field. Ticketing policies have also been updated for the event due to a decreased seating capacity at Armijo, according to an email from Fairfield administration to families Thursday.
Each graduating senior will receive a maximum of six tickets, with no more being distributed and nobody without a ticket being granted admission, the email said. The event will also be livestreamed on the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District’s YouTube page.
The Fairfield Police Department said Thursday that it will increase its presence at this year’s FSUSD graduation ceremonies after the shooting. The department also said it has contacted other law enforcement agencies to provide mutual aid at graduations.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding during this difficult time, as we come together in community to celebrate this milestone, while knowing that so many are affected by this tragedy,” the email read. “We have worked to coordinate with the district and law enforcement to ensure the safety and well-being of students, families, staff, and all attendees at our graduation ceremony.”
What happened at Fairfield parking lot?
About 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting at the parking lot of Fairfield High School, the Fairfield Police Department said in a news release early Thursday.
Police said the 18-year-old has not yet been identified due to the ongoing investigation, while the three shot were identified as 11-, 20- and 25-year-olds, who all suffered non-fatal injuries.
No suspect has been publicly named by Fairfield police, and a suspect description has not been released. The department said it was interviewing potential witnesses of the roughly 1,000 attendees of Sem Yeto’s graduation and following leads in its Thursday news release.
Police said Friday that investigators were seeking public assistance in their investigation into the incident, especially video or photographs of the events, vehicle or dash camera footage, and doorbell or business camera footage from near Sem Yeto.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fairfield Police Department through text by sending “TIP FAIRFIELDPD” to 88877, by calling 707-428-7345 or emailing juneincidenttips@fairfield.ca.gov.
In a separate news release later Thursday, the department said an attempt was made by the school district to request police presence at Sem Yeto’s graduation, but that they were unaware of it due to the request not being submitted through an established process.
The release was a response to rumors that the district did not request police presence, which police said was “not an accurate characterization of what happened.”
“We remain committed to supporting FSUSD and our community, and we will continue working collaboratively to ensure clear communication and the safety of all,” the release said.
