Beloved Vallejo coach shot while trying to break up fight outside high school

Updated September 14, 20221 Mins read301

VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) — An investigation is underway after a Vallejo High School coach was shot and injured while trying to break up a fight right outside of the school Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

Officers responded to the school after a report of a shooting around 3:45 p.m. near one of the entrances to the campus.

He was taken to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury.

Friends of the victim have identified him to ABC7 News as Joseph Pastrana, a local athletic coach they say is beloved in the Vallejo community.

“The fact that he was here, potentially he saved a child’s life,” Williams said.

After the shooting, the school was immediately placed on lockdown.

RELATED: Oakland student charged for accidentally shooting 13-year-old at school, police say

At the time of the incident, police say there was a college fair going on, three classes in session and approximately 200 student-athletes on campus.

After the area was deemed safe by officers, those remaining students and staff were released from campus.

School officials tell us their students’ safety remains their top priority.

“We take this all very seriously and we had a quick police response. And we will be having additional staff and security on campus tomorrow,” said Vallejo City Unified School District Superintendent, William Spalding.

School officials say classes on Wednesday will be on an abbreviated schedule and students will get to go home early.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact the Vallejo Police Department Detective Division at 707-648-4524.