Grand jury in California's Yolo County finds Davis schools lack safety measures to prevent shootings

Ishani Desai, The Sacramento Bee on May 5, 2025

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Davis Joint Unified School District has not implemented safety procedures created three years ago to prevent a school shooting, though some progress has been made, according to a report released by the Yolo County Grand Jury.

The report, released last week, comes in the wake of a shooting during UC Davis’ annual Picnic Day celebration at Community Park, which borders North Davis Elementary School and Davis Senior High School. Both locations were put on lockdown after gunfire broke out April 12 amid a party thrown by a fraternity that attracted hundreds. Grand jurors completed their report before the Picnic Day shooting broke out.

Davis police said they are searching for multiple shooters and that the investigation is ongoing. Three people suffered what police called non-life threatening injuries, including a Davis Joint Unified School District student.

The grand jury report said that intruders easily could gain access to North Davis Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary and Davis Senior High schools through Community Park. Teachers frequently leave their doors unlocked and “trail cameras do not provide instant communications about intruders,” the report said..

A Davis Joint Unified School District spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Davis Board of Education allocated $3 million to install fences across the Davis Joint Unified School District campuses in 2023, according to the grand jury report. The locations include Davis Senior High School and elementary schools, according to the district’s website.

“The goal of these projects is to improve safety and access control, by deterring pedestrian traffic across school grounds during school hours and limiting the number of entry points to campus,” the Davis Joint Unified School District said online.

But the construction is still ongoing, with fencing work underway at Korematsu, Montgomery and Pioneer elementary schools, according to the district.

The grand jury recommended campuses improve cameras’ placement across open area, improve the capability for “instant communication” if intruders walk onto campus during school hours and have teachers keep classroom doors locked when possible.

The Davis City Council has said it will meet with UC Davis officials to figure out solutions to stem unruly parties on Picnic Day.

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