Mother identifies teen killed in shooting at Natomas High School in Sacramento
Updated: 4:07 PM PDT Apr 13, 2026
A shooting at Natomas High School on Friday left one teen dead, with Sacramento police investigating and no arrests made. Sacramento police believe the shooter is a current Natomas High School student, but they have not released any information about the suspect. The victim, identified as 16-year-old De’Jon Sledge, was a student at a nearby school. His family shared a photo of him but has chosen not to speak on camera at this time. “My son was caring. He was passionate. He was determined to walk the right path,” Sledge’s mother said. “Did he make mistakes? Of course, just like any other teenager in this world. But anyone who truly knew my son knew what kind of person he really was. My son’s life did not deserve to be taken from us.” Sacramento police confirmed the shooting occurred after school hours. The circumstances leading up to the shooting and why both individuals were on campus remain unclear. One parent at Natomas High School, Janette Diaz, who knew Sledge, expressed concerns about her daughter’s safety and emotional well-being. “My daughter needs her education, but this is hindering her,” she said. “You know, she’s been crying all weekend to the point where her eyes are so swollen and red right now that it’s not even funny. When I found out it was somebody that I knew, he was a great kid. He was a great kid. He helped anybody. He did whatever he could for his family, and to see that happen to somebody so young, it’s for me like, what is the school going to do next to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again?” The Natomas Unified School District has increased the presence of its safety and safe schools team, with additional support from Sacramento police. Officers will be stationed on campus during school hours, as well as during drop-off and pick-up times. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
A shooting at Natomas High School on Friday left one teen dead, with Sacramento police investigating and no arrests made.
Sacramento police believe the shooter is a current Natomas High School student, but they have not released any information about the suspect.
The victim, identified as 16-year-old De’Jon Sledge, was a student at a nearby school. His family shared a photo of him but has chosen not to speak on camera at this time.
“My son was caring. He was passionate. He was determined to walk the right path,” Sledge’s mother said. “Did he make mistakes? Of course, just like any other teenager in this world. But anyone who truly knew my son knew what kind of person he really was. My son’s life did not deserve to be taken from us.”
Sacramento police confirmed the shooting occurred after school hours. The circumstances leading up to the shooting and why both individuals were on campus remain unclear.
One parent at Natomas High School, Janette Diaz, who knew Sledge, expressed concerns about her daughter’s safety and emotional well-being.
“My daughter needs her education, but this is hindering her,” she said. “You know, she’s been crying all weekend to the point where her eyes are so swollen and red right now that it’s not even funny. When I found out it was somebody that I knew, he was a great kid. He was a great kid. He helped anybody. He did whatever he could for his family, and to see that happen to somebody so young, it’s for me like, what is the school going to do next to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again?”
The Natomas Unified School District has increased the presence of its safety and safe schools team, with additional support from Sacramento police. Officers will be stationed on campus during school hours, as well as during drop-off and pick-up times.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel