Story and photo by Karen Pearlman

April 9, 2026 (Santee) — Twenty-five years after teenage student armed with a gun opened fire at Santana High School, survivors and prosecutors are closer to closing a legal loophole they say allows the state’s most violent juvenile offenders to exploit the justice system for early release.

On Tuesday in Sacramento, the Assembly Public Safety Committee voted 8-0 to advance Assembly Bill 1959, a bipartisan measure authored by Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel (D-San Diego). The bill aims to restore judicial discretion in cases involving mass casualties and “heinous” crimes committed by minors.