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WATSONVILLE, Calif. -- Outside the portable classrooms at Watsonville High School Sunday, police tape and a shrine is all that's left today from Friday night's fatal shooting.
"It breaks my heart, this is a place where kids come, its their home away from home and nobody wants their home with that kind of memorial," said Elaine Legorreta, Watsonville High Principal.
Legorreta said the news of a shooting at her school devastated her.
"That was an important life that was lost there," said Legorreta.
Watsonville Police say 18-year old Marco Ortega was gunned down by several men in the parking lot next to the tennis courts Friday night. But what's worse, a soccer game, a wrestling tournament, and a school dance were all happening at the school when Ortega was shot, according to Legorreta.
Police say that the shooting happened in a remote area away from these school events, but Central Coast News found out the parking lot is roughly a quick 30 second walk to the soccer field.
"I think security is certainly going to be tightened at this school," said Mayor Lowell Hurst.
Hurst said the fact that gun violence was able to spill onto school grounds so easily is not to be taken lightly.
"The public expects safety, they expect safety in the streets, they certainly expect safety for their kids in public schools," said Hurst.
Principal Legoretta said there were several school officials on campus that night. Many thought the gunshots were fireworks. The school even had a campus security guard who roamed around the campus. But she said she will work hard to make sure Ortega's death was not in vain even if Ortega wasn't a student at Watsonville High.
"We have to work more closely with the district to make sure that we've got the resources to have more people out and about," said Legoretta.
Legoretta hopes that the shrine in the parking lot now, is the last to go up at her school.
Principal Legoretta said the school will offer support to students in need of counseling. She also plans on holding a town hall meeting with parents and other high schools to discuss solutions to gang violence in the community.
