A 24-year-old Newport Beach man was arrested this week on suspicion of discharging a firearm in his apartment near Newport Harbor High School, prompting an approximately hour-long lockout at the campus.
Newport Beach police received a report of a possible domestic disturbance at 8:32 a.m. on Tuesday in the 800 block of Irvine Avenue.
— courtesy OCDA
Jesse Taylor Sweeny was taken into custody without incident after officers determined he was the suspected shooter, according to a police press release.
Around 9 a.m., a Newport Beach police school resource officer at Newport Harbor High initiated a lockout through school administrators because of the incident’s proximity and nature of the reported incident, authorities said. School lockouts limit campus ingress and egress while still allowing students and faculty to continue lessons inside classrooms.
Students and teachers were informed the school was being locked, a school district spokesperson said. Students in classrooms were instructed to remain there and students in between classes were escorted to a designated building on campus.
Newport Harbor High resumed normal activities around 10 a.m. once officers’ investigation revealed there was no ongoing threat to the campus.
In March 2014, Sweeny pleaded guilty to two counts of grand theft, one count of receiving stolen property, and one count of vandalism of $400 or more in damages, according to court records. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, three years of probation, and provide restitution.
Sweeny is being held on a $250,000 bond at the central men’s jail, according to jail records. He pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday.
