Stabbing outside City Council forum spotlights Santa Rosa gang problem

The challenges of gang violence in Sonoma County were brought into new focus this week after a stabbing outside a political forum for Santa Rosa City Council candidates left one man wounded and three juveniles jailed.

The Saturday afternoon stabbing - on the outdoor basketball courts of a middle school campus - comes amid an uptick in gang-related shootings, assaults and arrests reported over the last several months.

Detectives were investigating whether the 18-year-old man who was stabbed had instigated the confrontation with three teens later arrested on suspicion of felony assault, Sonoma County sheriff’s Sgt. Brandon Austin said. The teens, a 14-year-old and two 15-year-old boys, had just come outside after setting up chairs for the forum inside a cafeteria at Roseland Accelerated Middle School, which shares a West Avenue campus with Sheppard Elementary School.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Susan Shaw, director of the North Bay Organizing Project, a social justice nonprofit that organized the forum. “We feel it’s time to demonstrate immense love and compassion to all of the people involved in this.”

Shaw declined to discuss the incident or describe the teens’ involvement with the organization.

The forum continued as planned, Shaw said. Three of six candidates vying for four seats on the council attended the event, which was part of a series being held throughout the city. About 30 people were in attendance. The incident or gang violence in general was not brought up.

Candidates Jack Tibbitts and Chris Rogers said they saw police activity but otherwise weren’t sure what happened until they read the news.

Tibbitts said gang violence should be “at the top of the docket” of City Council priorities.

“It didn’t come up at the forum, which I thought was too bad. Here was an opportunity to talk about it, it was in our face in that moment,” Tibbitts said. “Here are these kids, being civically engaged, volunteering with an organization, then a stabbing happens; it’s really bothersome.”

Rogers said the incident reinforced his view that city officials should focus on creating opportunities for youth to avoid gang involvement.

“You can’t arrest your way out of the gang problem,” Rogers said.

The campus was already bustling with activity Saturday because of the forum as well as a youth basketball league event in the gymnasium and various other activities.

Amy Jones-Kerr, superintendent of the Roseland School District, said none of the teens involved were students in her district. Numerous teachers were on campus at the time, and principal Haley Piazza immediately went to the school after being notified.

“We’re pretty devastated, needless to say, because we worked so hard to create a positive environment for our students,” Jones-Kerr said. “It’s so important for us to create that because for some kids that’s the only safe place they have.”

Staff and parents were notified about the stabbing and all six district counselors were on campus Monday morning to field any questions from parents or students, she said. The stabbing was reported about 1:35 p.m. Saturday.

Austin, the sergeant in charge of investigations for the Sheriff’s Office, said they were still investigating the extent of gang connections of all involved. The juveniles were booked into Sonoma County juvenile hall on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury, plus gang charges.

On Saturday, the 18-year-old man had been skateboarding with friends at the school when he broke away to look for a drinking fountain, Austin said. Detectives suspect the 18-year-old may have confronted the juveniles “about gang-related territory” and may have threatened the teens with the skateboard.

The 18-year-old was stabbed about a dozen times, Austin said. He remained hospitalized and was expected to survive.

The three juvenile suspects ran to an adult with the North Bay Organizing Project, who then drove them away from the school, Austin said. They called 911 at 2:10 p.m. from the parking lot of the FoodMaxx on Sebastopol Road.

“I think it was to remove them from what they believed was an element of danger,” Austin said.

Authorities later found the suspected weapon, a pocket knife, on the roof of a school building.

Jason Carter, Santa Rosa’s violence prevention partnership manager, said once he learns more about the youth involved in the incident, he will determine how city outreach workers can best engage with them.

The department responds to violent incidents by sending counselors or staff with other community organizations into schools and even to people’s homes. The aim is to get counseling and other resources to families and start addressing some of the root causes that can lead to gang violence.

“That this happened on the school grounds is a factor that is the most troubling for me,” Austin said.

Santa Rosa police ?Sgt. Tommy Isachsen, who runs the gang unit, said gang rivalries have flared in the city over the last several months.

“There has been an uptick; there have been more stabbings, shootings and firearms possessions,” Isachsen said. “We just don’t know why yet and that’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com.