Man charged after pellet gun shooting at Palo Alto school near Garland Drive

A 67-year-old man was arrested and charged after firing a pellet gun at Stratford School in Palo Alto, police reported. The incident occurred around 7:10 a.m. on October 14, outside school hours when no students were present, according to the Palo Alto Police Department.

The man fired the pellet gun at a staff member walking on campus, striking a nearby wall but not the employee. The staff member recognized the man from a prior negative interaction and saw him peeking over a fence separating the school from an adjacent residence on Garland Drive.

Police said the school had a restraining order against the man, who was arrested at his home in the 800 block of Garland Drive and booked into Santa Clara County jail. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged him with felony assault with a deadly weapon, as well as misdemeanors for willful discharge of a BB device with gross negligence and violating a protective order.

This man had been previously arrested in connection with a similar incident in September 2021, when he fired an air rifle from his backyard at the campus, hitting a student who did not require medical attention.

Authorities encourage anyone with information about the case to contact the Palo Alto Police Department or submit tips anonymously via email or text.