Overview
- A backpack containing a gun, ammunition, and a mask was reported outside Aptos High on Sunday, prompting a rapid multiagency response.
- Santa Cruz County deputies arrested a juvenile in connection with a winter‑break altercation involving firearms, and the individual is not an Aptos High student.
- Investigators say there is a strong probability the firearm found on campus is tied to that off‑campus incident, though other possibilities remain under review.
- Over 72 hours, authorities conducted repeated campus and perimeter searches using a bomb‑detection K‑9 team and the bomb squad, and they plan to keep an elevated presence in place.
- PVUSD coordinated with the county education office and regional law enforcement on safety measures, and the district noted some families kept students home following the discovery.