Teenage suspect, father arrested in Merced County high school shooting threat investigation
A teenager and his father were arrested Monday after authorities investigated a reported shooting threat at a Merced County high school.
Merced Police Lt. Jeremy Salyers said officers served a search warrant at about 8 p.m. at the 16-year-old suspect’s home located in the 4000 block of Mariposa Way in Merced County, just outside the City of Merced. During the search, investigators discovered that the suspect’s father, Jonathan Olvera, 35, had six unsecured firearms inside the home. Salyers said police believe four children under the age of 18 live at the residence. Police searched the teenager’s room where they reportedly located a BB gun that was designed to resemble a real firearm.
Police said the search warrant was obtained after staff at Golden Valley High School received a report form a parent who said their children witnessed the 16-year-old allegedly making threats to harm students who were involved in disputes with the suspect.
“It was alleged that he was talking about some kids that he was having a problem with and that he wanted to essentially retaliate against them,” said Salyers.
Police said school staff received the report after school had been dismissed for the day. Salyers said it was also reported that a witness believed they saw a portion of a firearm in the student’s possession.
Golden Valley High School administrators contacted the school resource officer and Merced Police Department investigators worked with the school to identify the teenage suspect. Authorities said Olvera was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and the firearms found at the home were seized by officers. Police said the juvenile was arrested and booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of charges related to firearm offenses and criminal threats. Police said the juvenile suspect remains in custody at this time.
The Merced Union High School District released a statement to the Sun-Star on Tuesday which read in part “on March 3, 2025, after school hours, we received a report about a possible weapon at Golden Valley High School. GVHS admin immediately contacted our school resource officer and began an investigation.”
The district said that the investigation is ongoing and it will take appropriate actions as necessary.
The statement went on to read “we want to recognize the prompt response of the Golden Valley High administration, our school resource officer, and local law enforcement for ensuring the safety of our campus.”
The district said campus safety remains its highest priority and all students, staff and parents are encouraged to report any concerns or suspicious activity.
Salyers said investigators are working with school administrators to determine if there are any other witnesses and if the suspect communicated the alleged threats to anyone else. Salyers urges community members to contact police with information about potential threats no matter how minor they may seem so authorities can investigate and determine a threat’s credibility.
It is also important to take the proper precautions to ensure firearms are locked and properly secured inside a home, according to Salyers.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Merced Police Department Detective Edwin Arias at 209-385-7826 or by email at ariase@cityofmerced.org.
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 2:35 PM.