Two police officers with rifles stand near a fence outside a building, surveying the area.
Vallejo SWAT officer Ted Garcia provides overwatch as police search for two individuals who ran into the John Finney High School in Vallejo, Calif. on July 7, 2024. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

Four people were arrested following a pursuit and search on Sunday by members of Vallejo’s SWAT team and officers from nearby agencies.

The incident began around 6:25 p.m. when Vallejo patrol officers saw a white Mercedes Benz allegedly roll through a stop sign at Contra Costa Street and Georgia Street. When police tried to stop the car, the driver took off and a chase ensued, according to police. The chase ended at a dead end on the 1300 block of Colusa Street, when the driver and his three passengers got out of the car and ran away.

Police say two of the suspects who got out of the car had guns, and they were seen jumping the fence into John Finney High School. The suspects threw their guns away as they fled, according to police.

Officers say a search of the car and the school grounds turned up four suspects, ages 17, 18, 19 and 21. The adults were arrested and booked into the Solano County Jail, while the 17-year-old was booked into the Solano County Juvenile Detention Facility; their charges were not immediately available. Five guns were recovered, according to police, including two pistols allegedly modified into automatic weapons and a semi-automatic rifle.

Two police officers in uniform walk along a street in the afternoon. They are carrying rifles, and a fence and a building with a red roof are visible in the background.

A Vallejo police drone provides overhead surveillance.

A police drone is flying in the sky above power lines.

Vallejo Police SWAT Sgt. Jeremy Callinan (right) joins colleagues after arriving at the scene.

Two police officers in uniform walk beside their patrol cars in the afternoon. One officer is holding a rifle while the other walks with a hand near their mouth. A fence and a building are visible in the background.

SWAT officer Seamus Lanham (left) stops to take a picture of a friend from the Napa Sheriff’s Office while other Vallejo officers begin to stage outside the school grounds. Lanham rejoined his colleagues after apparently sending or posting the photograph.

A police officer takes a photo with a phone of a sheriff's deputy holding a rifle. Both officers are in uniform, and a police SUV with flashing lights is parked behind them.

The California Highway Patrol helped secure the search perimeter. CHP officers tried to stop the suspect vehicle before Vallejo police encountered it, according to dispatch audio.

A California Highway Patrol officer in uniform leans against the open door of a patrol car. He is wearing sunglasses and looking toward the camera with a serious expression. Other officers and patrol cars with flashing lights are visible in the background, along with trees.
A close-up portrait of a California Highway Patrol officer in uniform. The officer is looking ahead with a serious expression, and the background is slightly blurred.

Vallejo SWAT Cpl. Justin Samaniego (left) and department spokesperson Sgt. Rashad Hollis join the search team.

Two police officers in uniform walk along a street in the afternoon. They are carrying rifles, and a fence and a building with a red roof are visible in the background.

Led by Vallejo SWAT team members, officers and deputies from several departments move in.

A group of police officers in uniform walk beside a fenced area of a building. They are carrying rifles and other tactical gear.

Vallejo officers search a dumpster behind the school after the last individual was taken into custody.

Four police officers in uniform are inspecting and searching dumpsters behind a school. One officer is holding a shield, and others are looking inside the dumpsters.

Geoffrey King is the executive editor of Open Vallejo. Prior to founding Open Vallejo, Geoffrey worked as an attorney and journalist focused on free expression, open government, press freedom and privacy. He is a proud native of Vallejo, California.