Student Killed in Shooting at Natomas High School; Sacramento Police Search for Student Suspect
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A juvenile was killed Friday afternoon in a shooting at Natomas High School, setting off a major law enforcement response and a late-night search for a suspected gunman whom Sacramento police said is also a student at Natomas High. Officers were called just after 3:30 p.m. to the 3200 block of Truxel Road, and police said the shooting happened in an open area on campus as classes were being let out.
Sacramento police have not publicly identified the victim or the suspected shooter. Police spokesperson Anthony Gamble said the victim was a student at another nearby school, while Natomas Unified later told families the victim was a former Natomas High School student. The safest wording right now is that the victim was a former Natomas High student who was attending another nearby school at the time of the shooting.
The suspect was still at large in the latest accessible Friday night reporting. CBS Sacramento reported at 8:43 p.m. that no one had been detained, while KCRA reported police were searching for a Natomas High School student in connection with the fatal shooting.
The response stretched beyond the campus itself. KCRA reported first responders focused on the quad and gymnasium area, while aerial coverage showed dozens of officers and a SWAT presence at the nearby Natomas Village apartment complex across from the school. CBS Sacramento also reported officers and a Sacramento Sheriff’s Office SWAT vehicle at the apartment complex Friday evening.
Natomas Unified told families that law enforcement said the victim appeared to have been intentionally targeted and that the case appeared to be isolated. The district also said it would cancel its Multicultural Festival planned for Saturday, make counselors available for students and families, and increase safety presence at campuses. Natomas Unified had advertised that festival for Saturday, April 11, before the shooting.
Friday night, the story was still moving fast, but several details remained unconfirmed. Authorities had not publicly released names, a motive, the relationship between the two students, or any court or charging information in the latest accessible coverage. Until police announce an arrest or file charges, those points should be treated as unconfirmed.
What is already clear is that the shooting shook the Natomas school community at dismissal time and immediately turned into a homicide investigation with a campus lockdown, a neighborhood search, and grief support plans for students and families. This is a story that will likely change quickly once police announce an arrest, identify the victim, or release new investigative details.
3. Quick facts / bullet summary
- When: Just after 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, 2026.
- Where: Natomas High School, in the 3200 block of Truxel Road in Sacramento.
- What happened: A juvenile was fatally shot in an open area on campus as school was letting out.
- Victim: Police said the victim attended another nearby school; the district said the victim was a former Natomas High School student.
- Suspect: Police said the suspected shooter is a current Natomas High student and remained at large in the latest accessible Friday night reporting.
- District response: Counselors were being made available, the Saturday Multicultural Festival was canceled, and campuses were expected to have increased safety presence.
4. What is confirmed
- Sacramento police responded to the campus just after 3:30 p.m. Friday.
- The shooting happened in an open area on the Natomas High campus as classes were being let out.
- The victim was a juvenile who died.
- Police said the suspected shooter is a Natomas High School student.
- The victim had ties to the Natomas High community; police described the victim as attending another nearby school, and the district described the victim as a former Natomas High School student.
- The district told families that law enforcement said the victim appeared to have been intentionally targeted and that the case appeared isolated.
- The district canceled Saturday’s Multicultural Festival, planned counseling support, and said campuses would have increased safety presence.
- Police activity extended to the nearby Natomas Village apartment complex, where SWAT was seen.
5. What is not yet confirmed
- The name, age, and formal identification of the victim in publicly released official reporting.
- The name of the suspected shooter in the latest accessible reporting.
- Whether the suspect has since been arrested or detained beyond the latest accessible update Friday night.
- The motive and the exact relationship between the victim and suspected shooter.
- How the firearm got onto campus and whether there were any prior threats or warnings.
- Any charges, court filings, or juvenile petition details.
