By Antonio
Planas
A California high school football coach was shot and wounded Tuesday while trying to break up a fight that turned into a shooting at the high school, according to police.
Officers from the city of Vallejo (about 30 miles north of Oakland) responded to the school around 3:45 p.m. after receiving reports of a shooting on campus, police said.
Several students and "unknown men" got into a fight that was broken up by a school staff member, but "he was struck by a bullet and sustained a non-life-threatening injury," according to police.
Then "some of the subjects involved fled in a dark-colored compact car, while continuing to shoot at the other group," according to the statement.
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Police outside Vallejo High School in California on September 13, 2022. KNTV
Police did not reveal the identity of the injured person, but the local NBC Bay Area station reported that it was Joe Pastrana, the defensive coach of the school's football team, nicknamed
Coach Joe.
Community members expressed their dismay on social media at the attack on the coach.
The Vallejo Times-Herald reported that Pastrana was shot in the hip and was in stable condition.
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The shooting occurred when a college fair was taking place on the school grounds and there were three classrooms in which classes were still being held.
In addition, there were about 200 students playing sports, according to police.
Access to the school was closed for hours.
Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams described the shooting as "a senseless act committed by people who do not value human life."
"Enough, enough is enough," he added, "what a sad day when someone gets shot in front of our children at school, where they should feel safe."
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Police said they don't know the motive for the shooting, but suspect the people who escaped were not students at the school.
The educational center remained open this Wednesday and offered mental health specialists to students who required it.
Authorities increased security and police presence.