Crime

Police find 2 guns at Berkeley High, 2 students arrested

Police arrested two male Berkeley High School students, ages 17 and 18, as a result of the investigation, BPD said.

Students outside Berkeley High in October 2022. Emilie Raguso/The Berkeley Scanner

Berkeley police found two guns at Berkeley High School and arrested two BHS students Wednesday following reports of a gun on campus, authorities said.

The investigation began at about 12:35 p.m. when officers learned that a student on campus might have a gun in his possession, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.

"Working with school officials, officers contacted several students to investigate," Berkeley police said.

Police searched several buildings, ultimately finding two handguns, including one with an extended magazine, authorities said.

Police arrested two male Berkeley High School students, an 18-year-old (no address) and a 17-year-old from Berkeley, as a result of the investigation, BPD said.

No one was injured during the incident.

The Scanner has asked the Berkeley Unified School District and Berkeley High School principal for comment and will update this story if they respond.

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Last year, police arrested two boys who brought guns to campus.

In general, serious arrests are rare at Berkeley High.

But it's also worth noting that some arrests at the high school are more likely to go publicly unreported due to privacy laws that protect minors.

Update, 3:40 p.m. BUSD provided the following statement to The Scanner shortly after publication.

"Two Berkeley High School students were taken into custody by the Berkeley Police Department (BPD) without incident after each was found to be in possession of a firearm while on campus today. All students and staff are safe. The district finds this serious safety incident to be deeply concerning and will cooperate with BPD in their investigation. We continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and all in our school community. Berkeley High School students in need of support regarding this incident have been encouraged to connect with services available on campus."

In an email to parents, BHS Principal Juan Raygoza said there had been no reports "that either of these guns were brandished at BHS, nor that threats were made to anyone on campus."

"Weapons on our campus are a serious matter and very concerning," he wrote. "Any weapon in the possession of any person on our campus is a threat to the safety and well-being of our school community and against the law. This incident is now a police matter and the district will cooperate with BPD in their subsequent investigation."

Note: The Scanner added several details to this story after publication when they became available: the cities of residence of the arrested students and the fact that one of the guns had an extended magazine.