Fairfield mayor says student shot and killed was wearing graduation gown

FAIRFIELD, Calif. - It's one day after a mass shooting at a graduation ceremony at Fairfield High School and the community is still in shock and grieving over the loss of an 18-year-old who was killed and the three other victims who were injured. 

Killed in graduation gown 

No one has been arrested and the identities of the victims have still not been released. Police are still trying to identify a suspect or suspects. 

On Thursday, Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy said the teen who was killed had just received his diploma from Sem Yeto High School, a continuation high school that was holding its ceremony at Fairfield High. The mayor said when he was shot, the boy who was killed was wearing his graduation gown. 

Mayor Moy said the conditions of the three others who were shot; an 11, 20 and 25-year-old, have stabilized, but did not have a more specific description of how they were doing. According to her, the Fairfield police chief said this was a targeted attack and that no police officers were present when the shooting occurred. 

Moy said the gunman pointed directly at the student who was killed. She said police are searching for a male gunman and that it's unclear if there was more than one gunman involved. 

"We need to have justice for all of them," Moy said, holding back tears. "And that doesn't bring the child back, the young man. It doesn't bring back…all of the pain that they all feel. People who were running for their kids. I can't take that back. I wish I could." 

Police gave two updates on the situation the day it happened. By the end of the night, they said there was no immediate threat to the community. 

Moy said police are speaking to as many as 300 witnesses and that the relationship between the gunman and the victims is not clear. Police indicated there were about 1,000 people in attendance at the ceremony. The Sam Yeto principal said there were 230 graduating students in the class of 2026. 

Police said the FBI, ATF (The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives), Solano County Sheriff's Office and Vacaville police are assisting with this investigation. 

The mayor said she herself had attended Fairfield High growing up and that she's praying for the victims. 

The backstory:

The day started with joy and full of hope as the principal of Sem Yeto celebrated the graduating seniors. The ceremony that started at 6 p.m. Wednesday quickly turned to terror and heartbreak. 

Fairfield police said at around 7:15 p.m., a shooting in the Fairfield High parking lot, outside the graduation ceremony, left the 18-year-old dead. Three others had gunshot injuries. 

What they're saying:

One woman, who said she is the mother of a graduate, left balloons and a plush toy at the scene on Thursday. 

"We haven't even really thought about the graduation because we're so sad about what happened to him," said Ashley Combs. She said her daughter was sitting behind one of the victims during the ceremony. "I'm so sorry that happened. When one mother cries, we all cry." 

She said her heart goes out to the victim's family. 

"You know, she got him ready that morning. They were probably eating and laughing and joking, and then she brought him here, and she didn't get to take him home," said Combs. 

Bill Way, a City of Fairfield spokesperson, said their heart goes out to the families. 

"We're fully confident the Fairfield police are doing all they can with this active investigation," Way said. "We're working with the school system to support any way that we can. This doesn't define Fairfield."

Shock to the community 

The violence came as a shock to Sem Yeto High School, a continuation school that had just been named a model in the state. The principal said it had also increased its graduation rate from 64% to 94% this year. 

Students at nearby Fairfield High said it was a sad day. 

"We had to take this and just really realize that our lives are valuable. We can't take anything for granted, basically," said Kayana Mickey, a Fairfield High senior. 

Ceremony moved

In the wake of the violence, Fairfield High senior Caitlyn Hoff launched a petition on Change.org demanding the school relocate the ceremony. "We can’t go and celebrate this big moment of our lives where somebody quite literally lost theirs," Hoff said, adding that she believed school officials listened to the students' concerns as quickly as they could.

The ceremony, originally scheduled to take place at Shaefer Stadium on Friday, will now be held at Armijo High School, located just over a mile away. The event is slated to take place at its original scheduled time.

Parents consider removing children

Parents at Fairfield High School are considering taking their kids out of school due to back-to-back violent situations on campus and students are petitioning for more safety after the graduation ceremony mass shooting. 

Aaron Contawe, a parent of a Fairfield High graduating senior and a freshman, expressed shock over the incident, noting he never considered the location a bad area.

The tragedy follows a separate incident just two weeks ago, where a Fairfield police officer was captured on video in a physical altercation with a 16-year-old sophomore, Maurice Williams, on campus. The compounding safety issues have pushed some parents to re-evaluate their children's enrollment. 

Niki Williams, a parent of FHS freshman Kiimar Little, stated, "If they can’t keep our children safe, then he can’t stay here." Contawe similarly expressed doubt about whether his freshman daughter would return next year.

The unease was visible on campus Thursday morning, with students reporting a stark drop in attendance. "There was like eight people in my class," said Little. 

What's next:

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District is encouraging any members of the community who need support to access resources on its wellness page.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Fairfield Police Department addressed the community's anxiety: "The Fairfield Police Department is aware of the safety concerns raised by community members regarding upcoming graduation ceremonies in our city."

To ensure safety, the department is increasing the number of officers at all graduation ceremonies across the school district and is securing additional staffing and resources from outside jurisdictions. Despite the added security, some students remain fearful about attending the upcoming events.

The Fairfield Police Department is asking anyone with information to call its tip line at (707) 428-7345, or email juneincidenttips@fairfield.ca.gov.

The mayor of Fairfield said a prayer vigil is being planned for Friday, June 12, in the Fairfield High School parking lot in order to bring the community together and to support the families of the victims.