Teen Held in Air Gun Attack at Playground
An Oxnard teenager remained in County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail Friday after being arrested the day before on suspicion of shooting a 10-year-old girl with an air gun.
The playground at Dennis McKinna Elementary School in south Oxnard was evacuated about 1 p.m. Thursday after the girl, who was climbing on monkey bars, was hit in the back with a pellet. She was treated for a minor abrasion and she returned to school Friday, officials said.
After being hit, the girl pointed to a nearby backyard, and police converged on the house. John Gonzales, 18, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and is to be arraigned Monday. Police said they seized two air rifles and an air pistol from the house.
Principal John MacArthur wrote a letter to parents telling them what happened and assuring them the campus is safe. He also thanked the 150 students who were cleared from the playground for staying calm.
“This was something that could not have been prevented even if we had the National Guard on campus,” MacArthur said. “I don’t know what was going through [the shooter’s] mind.”
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