One of the darkest moments in Wilson’s history happened on October 30, 2009.

Sixteen-year-old Wilson honors student and track athlete Melody Ross was leaving the school’s homecoming football game against Long Beach Poly when gunfire erupted outside the campus.

Ross was struck and later died at the hospital. Two other people, ages 18 and 20, were also shot and survived.

Police said Ross was an innocent bystander. Authorities said the shooting stemmed from a confrontation involving rival gang members.

Two 16-year-olds were later charged as adults with murder and attempted murder in connection with the shooting.

The killing devastated the Wilson community. Students returned to school to additional security, grief counselors and a memorial for Ross.

2018: Wilson Student Arrested After Threats to Harm Others

In February 2018, Long Beach police responded to Wilson after a student was reportedly overheard making threats to harm other people at the school.

According to LBPD, an LBUSD public safety officer detained the 16-year-old junior before police arrived.

The student was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats.

The incident was one of several school threats being investigated across Long Beach at the time and resulted in increased police patrols around the city’s high schools.

2019: Student Found With Loaded Gun on Campus

Another major incident occurred in April 2019, when an 18-year-old Wilson student was arrested after school administrators discovered that he was carrying a loaded handgun.

According to records reported at the time, a school resource officer found a 9 mm handgun loaded with 12 rounds in the student’s waistband.

Police also reported finding Xanax and cannabis products.

The student was arrested on suspicion of several offenses, including possessing a firearm at a public school and carrying a concealed weapon.

The district subsequently told families that the student would not be returning to Wilson.

2019: Wilson Placed on Lockdown Following Reported Threat

Wilson experienced another security scare later that year.

In November 2019, the campus was placed under a brief lockdown after the school received a telephone call reporting a potential threat.

School Safety and law enforcement investigated, and police searched the campus with K-9 units.

Authorities ultimately determined the threat was not credible, and students returned to their regular schedule.

Although no weapon or credible threat was discovered, the incident again resulted in emergency safety protocols being activated at Wilson.

2023: Student Brings Gun to Wilson, Campus Locked Down

Another firearm was recovered from a Wilson student in December 2023.

Police were called to Wilson at approximately 10:50 a.m. on December 8 after receiving a report that a student had a gun.

By the time officers arrived, LBUSD School Safety personnel had detained the 15-year-old student. Police recovered a firearm and arrested him.

No shots were fired and nobody was injured on campus, but Wilson was placed on lockdown during the incident.

Police later revealed that the teenager had been among a group involved in an off-campus altercation the previous day on Junipero Avenue. During that confrontation, another teenager was shot and wounded.

Police arrested a separate 17-year-old on suspicion of attempted murder in that shooting.

Authorities said at the time that the motive for the shooting and the reason the 15-year-old brought a firearm to Wilson the following day remained under investigation.

The incident also generated frustration among some parents who gathered outside Wilson during the lockdown seeking information about what was happening inside.

2025: Neighbors Complain About Repeated Fights and Student Behavior

More recently, concerns surrounding Wilson have extended beyond the campus itself.

In October 2025, residents living near Wilson publicly complained about fights and disruptive student behavior spilling into the surrounding neighborhood.

Security footage provided to the Long Beach Post showed dozens of students gathering around fights on Prospect Street near the campus. According to the publication, the fights eventually spilled back onto school grounds before staff intervened.

LBUSD acknowledged two separate fighting incidents involving Wilson students during that semester.

Residents told the publication that they wanted increased monitoring and patrols from both LBUSD School Safety and Long Beach police.

Some neighbors said their concerns went beyond individual fights and included repeated problems with students trespassing and other disruptive behavior around their properties.

One resident said she was considering moving because of how the activity surrounding the school had affected her neighborhood.

2026: Stabbing Disrupts Freshman Orientation

Now, less than a year after those complaints, Wilson is dealing with another violent incident.

This time, it happened before the regular school year had even begun.

A student was stabbed during Freshman Orientation, another student was involved, paramedics transported the injured student to the hospital, the campus was evacuated and orientation activities were disrupted.

The incident adds another chapter to a complicated history of safety concerns at one of Long Beach’s most recognizable high schools.

It would be unfair to suggest that every Wilson student is unsafe or that these incidents represent everyday life on campus. Thousands of students have attended Wilson over the years without experiencing serious violence.

At the same time, the documented history cannot simply be ignored.

A student has now been stabbed during a school program. Loaded firearms have been discovered on campus on multiple occasions. Students have been arrested over threats. Nearby residents have publicly complained about repeated fights. And in the most tragic case, 16-year-old Melody Ross lost her life to gun violence while leaving a Wilson school event.

Thursday’s incident will likely once again raise questions about what is being done to keep students safe, particularly as Wilson prepares to welcome its full student body back for the new school year.

For now, LBUSD says additional School Safety patrols will be deployed in and around the campus.

LBPD’s investigation into Thursday’s incident remains ongoing.