Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho has ruled that a fatal shooting at Natomas High School was a clear act of self-defense after a 16-year-old student was targeted for robbery by two armed, masked individuals. While the student will not face murder charges for the death of 16-year-old De’Jon Sledge, he is still being prosecuted in juvenile court for felony gun possession on a school campus.
SACRAMENTO, CA — A tragic confrontation at Natomas High School has sparked a national conversation about youth violence and the legal boundaries of self-defense on campus. On Friday, April 17, 2026, just after dismissal, a 16-year-old student was allegedly ambushed by two other 16-year-olds—neither of whom attended the school—in what investigators described as a targeted robbery attempt.
According to DA Thien Ho, one of the individuals, identified as De’Jon Sledge, was wearing a ski mask and brandishing a loaded .45 caliber handgun when he approached the student. Surveillance video and eyewitness testimony corroborated that the student fired a fatal shot only after being directly threatened by the armed attackers. “We determined that the individual, the 16-year-old who fired the fatal shot, was doing so in self-defense,” Ho stated during a press conference.
Accountability Beyond the Shooting
While the homicide charges were declined due to the self-defense ruling, the DA emphasized that bringing a firearm onto a school campus still carries severe consequences.
- The Defender: Facing felony gun possession charges in juvenile court.
- The Accomplice: An unnamed third teen who was with Sledge is being charged with attempted robbery and aiding and abetting.
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper expressed frustration over the lack of repercussions for juveniles caught with firearms. “These kids know there are no repercussions. If you get caught with a gun, you’re not going to get locked up,” Cooper warned, calling for more accountability at the home and community levels.
The Call for SROs
The incident has forced the Natomas Unified School District to re-evaluate its safety protocols. Following the shooting, district officials submitted a formal request to the City of Sacramento to reinstate the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract, which had been previously allowed to lapse due to staffing issues.
Superintendent Robyn Castillo noted that while safety staff were present during the shooting, the “isolated and targeted” nature of the attack makes it difficult to know if armed officers would have changed the outcome. The request for SROs remains uncertain as the city faces a $66 million budget deficit.
Safety Tip: For a student, being “targeted” by masked, armed attackers on campus is a nightmare scenario where the “Duty to Retreat” is often impossible. In this case, the student’s legal defense was bolstered by clear surveillance footage. However, the tragedy remains that a 16-year-old felt the need to carry a loaded handgun to school for protection. For parents, this is a critical reminder to have open, non-judgmental conversations with your children about their safety and the presence of firearms in their social circles.
