Fatal shooting at Sacramento’s Natomas High: What happened, what’s next

A fatal shooting at Natomas High School has prompted district leaders to urge the city of Sacramento to return police officers to campus.

Here is what happened, and what comes next:

• What happened: De’Jon Sledge, 16, and another person entered the Natomas High campus with a handgun while searching for a specific student, authorities said. Neither attended the school. During what authorities described as a “violent attempted robbery,” the targeted student — who was also armed — shot and killed Sledge.

• No homicide charges: Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho’s office said the evidence against the student who shot Sledge did not establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, specifically citing self-defense law.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for the DA’s Office confirmed the 16-year-old who killed Sledge still faces one felony count of being a minor in possession of a handgun. Another teen who was with Sledge and was also arrested faces one felony charge of attempted robbery.

Both teens were not identified by name because they are minors.

• Investigation continues: Police said Tuesday that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.

• Family’s response: Sledge’s mother, in a statement released through Sacramento nonprofit EMPACT, called him an honors student focused on academics. “My son’s life did not deserve to be taken from us,” the statement read.

• GoFundMe update: A GoFundMe created to help Sledge’s family cover “unexpected financial burdens” had raised $4,009 as of Thursday evening, up from about $2,000 earlier in the week, toward a $7,000 goal.

• School district’s request: Natomas Unified Superintendent Robyn Castillo asked Sacramento’s city manager to reinstate a contract assigning three full-time police officers and a sergeant to Natomas schools. The city canceled the $2.1 million agreement in October due to police staffing shortages.

City spokesperson Jennifer Singer confirmed that the city manager is reviewing the district’s request.

“The loss of life is heartbreaking, and any loss of life in our community is deeply felt,” she wrote in a statement. “The city and police department are committed to working closely with our partners to evaluate this request, understand current needs and determine the most responsible path forward.”

Outgoing Police Chief Kathy Lester said the department still faces significant budget and staffing challenges — the same issues that led to the cancellation of the original contract.

• What the district has done: After the city canceled its school resource officer contract, the district expanded its Safe Schools Department, adding three positions to support each high school and provide coverage at other campuses as needed. The district also hired campus safety specialists to monitor perimeters and parking lots.

“While we recognize the difficult reality that no system can eliminate every risk, we continuously reevaluate and strengthen our processes and procedures as part of our commitment to the safety of our students and staff,” a district news release reads.

• Controversy over school resource officers: School resource officers have been controversial, with critics questioning the effectiveness of on-campus law enforcement in preventing school shootings. Research has shown that school-based police have been only marginally effective in preventing some campus violence, while not preventing school shootings and contributing to disproportionate discipline of Black and disabled students.