Unloaded handgun found at Walnut Elementary linked to Turlock Junior High burglary
A handgun found on the grounds of Turlock’s Walnut Elementary on the last day of school has been connected to an early morning burglary at nearby Turlock Junior High, according to authorities.
In a press release, Turlock police said the unloaded handgun was left earlier Friday by a juvenile male. At about 3:26 a.m, police responded to Turlock Junior High for a burglary alarm. When officers arrived they found a juvenile male in the school office, who was taken into custody.
The suspect, whose name is not being released because he is a minor, was booked into Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall on felony burglary charges.
Later that same morning, at about 6:30 a.m., an unloaded handgun was found by a janitor in what authorities called a “backpack-style purse” near a trash container on the grounds of Walnut Elementary Education Center, which is about two blocks north of the junior high.
Police responded to the school at 7:07 a.m., and removed the backpack and gun prior to the start of the school day.
In an email sent to parents shortly before 10 a.m. Friday, Turlock Unified School District spokeswoman Marie Russell and Walnut Elementary principal Sumeet Singh addressed the incident. The bag contained personal items, the handgun and no ammunition.
“We know that this may be alarming for parents in light of current events,” the email read in part, and goes on to say, “This does not appear to have any connection to the Walnut campus.”
Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden told The Modesto Bee there was no continued threat to the school, but the department would remain in communication with the district and increase patrols.
“The other items (in the purse) lead us to believe it was mistakenly left instead of planted,” he said.
According to the press release, the responding officer connected the earlier burglary with the found handgun. Evidence found on the juvenile suspect led them to a business, which provided surveillance video footage that showed the suspect carrying the bag in question.
Police now believe the handgun recently was stolen from a nearby residence; they continue to investigate.
Walnut school is a district Renaissance & Discovery Magnet program, which its website says teaches students through a “S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) lens.” The campus is located in the northern part of the city, between Taylor Road and Christoffersen Parkway.
District officials said the school decided to continue its last day activities, but will “remain vigilant following our TUSD safety and security protocols.” Parents were allowed to pick up their children early after they learned of the incident at Walnut Elementary, Russell said. The school is now out for the summer with summer school classes beginning next week.
“The safety of our children is paramount for our officers. They left no stone unturned to quickly come to a resolution. It appears the gun found on the schoolgrounds was fruits of an earlier burglary and had nothing to do with school nor does it appear the suspect had any intent to use it at the school,” Hedden said in the written press release.
The Turlock Police Department asks that anyone with information regarding this incident, to call Detective Raul Garcia at 209-664-7314. You can also contact the Turlock Police Department’s Tip Line at 209-668-5550 extension 6780 or email at tpdtipline@turlock.ca.us. The Turlock Police Department is an active participant in the Crime Stoppers Program. Callers can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636 and may be eligible for a cash reward.
This story was originally published May 27, 2022 at 3:50 PM.
