Lemoore police arrest juvenile for bringing a gun on Lemoore; his father later arrested

Immediately, school administration collaborated with Lemoore Police Department and took additional safety actions.  Investigators revealed the pistol was an illegal weapon and that the student also had a high-capacity magazine. 

Lemoore High School informed parents about the incident. 

Police took the student into custody without incident.  Detectives assisted with a search warrant of the student’s Lemoore home.  The search warrant resulted in additional firearms confiscated from the residence, and police recovered another gun from a vehicle owned by the student’s father, 47-year-old David Escalera Sr.

The investigation showed that the student did not make any threats toward the school or others.   

The firearms recovered from the residence were unsecured and readily accessible.  One of the confiscated firearms also had altered serial numbers.  Officers seized the guns, and police arrested David Escalera Sr. for felony child endangerment, criminal storage of a firearm, possession of an assault weapon, and possession of a firearm with altered serial numbers. Escalera Sr. was booked into the Kings County Jail with bail set at $95,000.

The student was arrested and booked into the Kings County Juvenile Center. 

Lemoore police indicated they would continue to take every measure to ensure the safety of the students and staff and added that students and staff are strongly encouraged to call authorities if they see or hear anything suspicious.