Vallejo High students, community shocked after shooting outside school injures athletic trainer

ByRyan Curry KGO logo

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Students, community shocked after shooting outside Vallejo High School

Students were back in class Wednesday at Vallejo High School after a beloved athletic trainer was shot trying to break up a fight.

VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- Students were back in class Wednesday at Vallejo High School after a shooting took place Tuesday.

Joseph Pastrana, a beloved athletic trainer at the school, intervened but was shot in the process. He is still recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.

"When I first heard I was like thank God I wasn't there when it happened," freshman William Gonzales Perez said. "I feel surprised though. Like oh my God, that really happened at my school?"

Video captured the moment the shooting occurred, showing a large fight right outside the school. Moments later several shots were heard as students frantically ran away.

"It was pretty shocking and I hope it doesn't happen again," said Rose Chancellor, a grandmother of a student. "Called and got a hold of my grandson on the phone who said we were on lockdown. I said that doesn't sound good. Then the teacher got on and told my son they had the students in the library."

ABC7 News reached out to the Vallejo Police Department about the shooting. We are waiting for a reply.

The Vallejo City Unified School District says the Pastrana potentially saved a student's life.

"Somebody took a bullet for our students," said Celina Baguiao, communications director for the school district. "He was doing his job and unfortunately something bad happened while he was at work."

Although Pastrana did not get seriously injured, the school district plans to have conversations with police and city leaders about how to make Vallejo safer.

"How do we move this city forward because we are having this problem not just here at the high school but all over the community," Baguiao said. "So how do we come together as a community so things like this don't happen."