Fairfield Mayor Cat Moy discusses Wednesday’s shooting in the parking lot of Fairfield High School on Thursday.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
A request made by school officials for a police presence at a Fairfield high school graduation where a shooting killed an 18-year-old did not reach the police department because it was not submitted through established channels, law enforcement officials said.
While Fairfield Suisun Unified School District regularly requests that Fairfield police officers attend sporting events, graduations or other large gatherings, an apparent administrative error meant that the request for additional officers never reached the police department.
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About 1,000 people attended Sem Yeto High School’s graduation ceremony Wednesday at Fairfield High School’s Schaefer Stadium.
Gunfire broke out around 7:15 p.m. in the parking lot after the ceremony. Three victims, ages 11, 20 and 25, suffered injuries but survived, police said. The 18-year-old’s injuries were fatal.
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No arrest had been announced, and police had not released a suspect description as of Friday afternoon.
Alexis Duran drops off balloons outside Schaefer Stadium at Fairfield High School on Thursday to commemorate victims of a shooting after a graduation ceremony a day earlier.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Fairfield police said late Thursday that they were addressing unspecified suggestions that the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District had not requested police presence at the ceremony.
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The department said that was “not an accurate characterization of what occurred.”
Under an agreement between the school district and the police department, school officials must submit requests for a police presence to a designated person within the department.
“Through an internal review conducted in coordination with FSUSD administration, an attempt to make a request was submitted for the Sem Yeto graduation,” police said. “The request was not made through the established channels and the department was not aware of the request.”
“As the statement clearly states, police coverage was requested, but it does appear there was a miscommunication about it,” Ilana Israel Samuels, a spokesperson for the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, said in an email to the Chronicle.
“There isn’t a lot more to say on this.”
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Samuels said the district cares “deeply about safety” and works with law enforcement when needed, “in the interest of student and staff safety.”
“We are working with FPD and working internally to look into the processes in place,” she said.
A car leaves the Fairfield High School parking lot next to Schaefer Stadium on Thursday, the day after an 18-year-old was killed and three other people injured in a shooting after a graduation ceremony.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Police did not say who submitted the request, when it was sent or where it went. The department also did not say how many officers would typically be assigned to a graduation of that size.
The district did not immediately provide additional details about the attempted request.
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In a message to families Thursday, Superintendent Jennifer Sachs and school board President Helen Tilley said the district remained in close communication with law enforcement and would share additional information if it became available.
The district said mental health support was available for students, staff and families after the shooting.
“We recognize that incidents like this can create feelings of fear, uncertainty, sadness, and anger,” the district said.
The parking lot of Schaefer Stadium at Fairfield High School was the site of a fatal shooting after a graduation ceremony Wednesday.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
The missed request became a focus after witnesses and local officials questioned why officers were not already at the ceremony. Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy told The Chronicle on Thursday that police were not present at the Sem Yeto graduation but would be at future graduations.
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Fairfield High School’s graduation, originally scheduled for Friday at Schaefer Stadium, was moved to Armijo High School. Police also said they were increasing security at upcoming graduation ceremonies.
Video published by ABC10 on Friday showed the chaotic moments after the shooting, with people gathered around someone on the ground and apparent bullet holes visible in a vehicle.
The shooting remains under investigation by Fairfield police, with assistance from the Vacaville Police Department, Solano County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and ATF.
Police said hundreds of potential witnesses were at the ceremony, and detectives were working to identify and interview them.
The department also said a rumor circulating on social media that the 11-year-old victim had died was false. The child was recovering at a local hospital, police said.
The identities of the victims have not been released pending next-of-kin notification and to protect the investigation, police said. Authorities have not said whether the victims were students, graduates, relatives or others attending the ceremony.
Anyone with information can contact the Fairfield police tip line at 707-428-7345 or email juneincidenttips@fairfield.ca.gov.