Vallejo school coach injured in on-campus shooting

An assistant football coach at Vallejo High School is in stable condition after he was injured in a shooting Tuesday after school, the East Bay Times reported.

The newspaper identified the coach as Joe Pastrana, defensive coordinator of the school’s football team and a 2009 alumni of the school. Pastrana was breaking up a fight in front of the school just as classes ended for the day when he was shot by a suspect in a black Audi, the newspaper reported. The suspect is not a student, a school official said.

District staff placed the school on lockdown following the incident and provided mental health support for students. About 200 students were on campus at the time, including students attending a college fair.

Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams said Pastrana acted heroically, possibly saving the lives of nearby students.

“This is a very courageous staff member that potentially saved another child’s life or multiple people’s lives,” Williams said, the newspaper reported. “It’s a tragedy anytime there is a shooting anywhere near a school. This is a senseless act of violence committed by some individuals who do not value human life. … Enough is enough. It’s a sad day anyone is shot in front of our children at school where they should feel safe.”