Santa Rosa police arrested a 16-year-old student at Elsie Allen High School on Thursday after they discovered he had brought a loaded gun and ammunition to school, authorities said in a news release.

Shortly after 1 p.m., police received a 911 call from the school to report that the boy was taken into custody and a gun and bullets were seized, authorities said.

School staff told police the boy, whose name was not released because he is a juvenile, was being questioned about a possibly gang-related graffiti incident at the school. Authorities said that within the scope of the investigation, the student’s backpack was searched and a gun and bullets were found.

Police responding to the incident arrested the student, who was transferred to the juvenile hall, on suspicion of a number of crimes, including possession of a loaded handgun, possession of an unregistered handgun and possession of a minor, according to the news release.

Officials praised the “swift and decisive” action of administrators at Elsie Allen and urged parents to talk to their children about the consequences of bringing guns to campus.

Contact Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at 707-521-5255 or [email protected]. @annavarmstrongg on X (Twitter).