Authorities say two people not from Natomas High came onto campus while armed and tried to rob a student; and that student shot and killed one, the DA said.
SACRAMENTO, California — Prosecutors in Sacramento County have declined to file homicide charges in a deadly shooting at Natomas High School, saying the killing occurred during a violent attempted robbery and falls under self-defense.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that two people, who were not students at Natomas High School, went onto campus looking for a specific student. Authorities said one of them was wearing a ski mask and carrying a handgun.
Investigators determined the pair found the student and violently tried to rob him, leading to a confrontation, according to the DA’s office. During that encounter, the targeted student — who was also carrying a firearm — shot and killed the armed suspect, according to prosecutors.
The person who was killed has been identified by family members as 16-year-old De’Jon Sledge.
After reviewing the facts, evidence and applicable law, including self-defense, the district attorney’s office concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove a homicide case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Our professional and ethical obligation requires us to decline charges when the evidence cannot establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” the office said in a statement.
The office also raised broader concerns about violence on school campuses, saying schools should be safe places for students and that young people should not feel compelled to carry weapons for protection.
Student shot and killed at Sacramento’s Natomas High School, district call it a “targeted attack”
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