Repeat teen offender who fired gun at Fairfield High School gets 6 months detention
By Carlos E. Castañeda
A teenager who fired a gun during an after-school skirmish at Fairfield High School in September was already awaiting sentencing in a separate gun assault case at the time and will serve six months in detention for both cases, police said.
The Fairfield Police Department said multiple rounds were fired at an occupied vehicle during the Sep.16 altercation in the school parking lot, but no one was hurt. In a social media post on Thursday, police said officers arrived within 60 seconds of the initial report, but the suspect fled before they arrived.
The investigation led to the unidentified suspect’s surrender within days. Police said investigators learned that he had been found guilty of assault with a firearm, with a gun enhancement, in a separate case and was awaiting sentencing.
According to the update, for both cases, the teen received a combined sentence of 12 months of supervision with credit for time served. He will remain in juvenile detention for an additional six months, followed by three months of GPS-monitored supervision.
The update from police appeared to underscore the department’s frustration with the resolution of the case, as it pointedly noted the department “operates independently of the judicial sentencing process.”
“We neither possess the authority to influence criminal sentences nor are we contacted to provide recommendations,” the press release said. “Sentencing decisions are determined by the judicial system through established criminal justice procedures, remaining outside the scope of Police Department operations.”
By comparison, an adult convicted of shooting at an occupied vehicle in California, combined with a gun enhancement and a prior “strike” for assault with a firearm, would typically face a state prison sentence of 14 to 17 years. Juvenile systems in California and across the U.S. normally emphasize rehabilitation and treatment for minors and reserve lengthy sentences for the most extreme and violent crimes.
Solano County’s juvenile detention facility offers behavioral training, vocational/ trade training, and social-skills development instead of a purely punitive incarceration model.
In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1376, a landmark reform measure that imposes new limits on juvenile probation and creates mechanisms to keep youth from being trapped in cycles of prolonged supervision. Critics of the measure said the new law threatens community security and undermines the will of voters who support stronger accountability.
Last year, California voters passed Prop. 36, which increases criminal penalties for certain repeat theft and drug offenses and rolls back some earlier justice reform efforts, although it does not target juvenile justice systems.
