A Bay Area teenager was fatally shot while still wearing his cap and gown at a high school graduation ceremony in Fairfield, California, according to police. The victim, identified as Jamario Baker, a graduate of Sem Yeto High School, was killed on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Schafer Stadium on the Fairfield High School campus.
The shooting occurred as the ceremony was concluding, with approximately 1,000 people in attendance.
A Facebook post by Mary Jones, who identified herself as Baker's aunt, stated that the teen was protecting his 11-year-old sister when he was shot. "Prayers much needed for my Brother Roderick and family," Jones wrote, sharing a photo of Baker with his father after the graduation.
"You may have heard about the shooting in Fairfield after a graduation ceremony. That was my great nephew that was shot and killed.
Rest in heaven Jamario. He was protecting his 11 year old sister when he was shot."
In the days following the tragedy, a memorial with balloons and a page for messages was set up in the Fairfield High parking lot near Schafer Stadium. On Saturday evening, community members gathered at Fairfield Civic Center Pond to pray and reflect on Baker's life while offering support to his family.
The Fairfield Police Department reported that detectives are identifying and interviewing the hundreds of potential witnesses. "In an event like this, when you have such a large-scale incident with a lot of victims and a lot of witnesses to get through, then we usually reach out for mutual aid," said Fairfield Police Officer Michelle Belyea.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional information has been released.
Questions about security at the ceremony emerged after it was revealed that no police officers were present. The Fairfield Police Department issued a statement on Friday attributing the lack of police presence to a breakdown in communication between the city and the school district.
According to police, the department has a memorandum of understanding with the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District to provide officers for events when requested through established channels. "Through an internal review conducted in coordination with the FSUSD administration, an attempt to make a request was submitted for the Sem Yeto graduation," the department said.
"The request was not made through the established channels, and the department was not aware of the request. As a result, no officers were assigned to the ceremony."
Fairfield Mayor Catherine "Cat" Moy said she sought answers from city officials after receiving media inquiries. Moy stated that police would fully staff upcoming graduations at Armijo, Rodriguez, and Fairfield high schools.
"Clearly, there was a failure of the established process," she wrote. "It's important that we see where that failure occurred so it doesn't happen again."
Hope Christian Church in Fairfield has announced a community prayer gathering called "Moment of Blessing: Hope, Healing, and Unity" scheduled for Friday, June 12, at 3 p.m. in the Fairfield High School parking lot.
The church stated, "In the wake of the recent tragedy at Sam Yeto's graduation, our community continues to grieve alongside those who have been deeply affected. This gathering is an opportunity to honor those impacted, support one another, and reaffirm our commitment to the well-being of our community." Mayor Moy noted that the pastor of the victim's family is expected to attend.
Additionally, a community meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District Board meeting, where residents plan to demand accountability and seek answers about the security request process.