CHILLING MYSTERY FIND: ‘Hero’ Dog Finds Backpack with Gun, Ammo at California High School

January 23, 2026

From Breitbart: A “hero” dog reportedly found a backpack containing a gun and ammunition at Aptos High School in Aptos, California, on Sunday morning.

Bystander Mikey Perez was going for a walk with his dog, Bear, near Aptos High School — about 30 miles south of San Jose — when his furry companion sniffed out something unusual, according to a report by KSBW.

“He stops, and he points this way and does the pointer thing, and I’m like, ‘What is it, boy?’” Perez told the outlet, recalling the moment Bear stopped him on their daily walk.

“He was pointing,” Perez added of his dog. “I thought it was going to be a Mountain Lion or something. He put me on alert.”

What the dog had found was a backpack, and inside it was a gun and a magazine of ammo. A mask was also found nearby.

“This thing was modified fully auto, everything on it was grinded off, it may even had a 3d printer buffer to make it fully auto,” Perez speculated.

DOG FINDS GUN | Santa Cruz County authorities are increasing police presence after a backpack containing a firearm and ammunition was discovered at Aptos High School, prompting an ongoing investigation.

Read more: https://t.co/ObjkBiBwdH pic.twitter.com/wze55xHVkm

— KSBW Action News 8 (@ksbw) January 21, 2026

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office then released a statement on social media, and explained that there had been a physical altercation that had occurred near the school over winter break, involving firearms. They said they are suspecting the newly-discovered backpack may be related to that incident, but the matter is still under investigation.

The sheriff’s department also released a video statement.