Texas student shoots teacher at high school before killing himself | US crime
A 15-year-old student shot a teacher at a Texas high school and fatally shot himself Monday, according to authorities who are still investigating what led to the early morning attack.
No other injuries were reported at the Hill Country college preparatory high school in Bulverde, a small but growing city near San Antonio.
This was the fifth school shooting to result in injury or death in the United States so far this year. Education Week analysis.
The injured teacher was taken to a nearby hospital. Comal County Sheriff Mark Reynolds said hours after the attack that he did not know her condition.
“What happened today is something no community wants to face, but we are preparing for something we hope never happens,” Reynolds said.
He said the student shot the teacher before turning the gun on himself. Investigators are trying to understand the relationship between the student and teacher and are looking into how the firearm was obtained, Reynolds said.
The small campus of about 250 students was quarantined shortly after 8:30 a.m., according to the school. One student told San Antonio television station KSAT that they heard loud noises coming from a second-floor room, followed by screams.
Another student told the television station that he heard five gunshots and shouting before the debate teacher told the students to enter the classroom.
Students were bused to a nearby middle school; Here parents stood in long lines, some praying and waiting to be reunited. Reynolds said family members of the gunman have also entered the reunion pipeline.
“We are trying to gather as much information as possible from witnesses,” Reynolds said.
Jesse Lopez, a parent, told KSAT that it would be difficult to tell his daughter that she would eventually have to go back to the classroom.
“First of all, he’s autistic and he’ll be scared to go back, really scared to go back,” Lopez said.
The school canceled classes Tuesday, but counselors will still be available for students and families, principal Julie Wiley said in a statement. He did not provide detailed information about the teacher’s condition.
“Our hearts are with everyone” [affected]“Especially that teacher, their families, and our school community,” Wiley said. “We know this is a difficult day.”
The high school, part of the Comal independent school district, focuses on academics and skills to prepare students for college, according to the district’s website. Its curriculum focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, known as Steam, and includes electives that include cybersecurity and engineering.
The school opened with a first-grade class in August 2020. It has since grown to offer grades nine through 12.
Guardian staff contributed to reporting
