A 15-year-old student shot a teacher at a Texas high school and then fatally shot himself on Monday, according to authorities, who were still investigating what led to the early morning attack.
No other injuries were reported at Hill Country college preparatory high school in Bulverde, a small but growing city near San Antonio.
It was the fifth school shooting with injuries or deaths in the US this year to date, according to an Education Week analysis.
The wounded teacher was taken to a nearby hospital. The Comal county sheriff, Mark Reynolds, said hours after the shooting that he did not know her condition.
“What happened today is something no community ever wants to face, but we prepare for something that we hope never occurs,” Reynolds said.
He said the student shot the teacher before turning the gun on himself. Reynolds said investigators were working to understand the relationship between the student and the teacher and looking into how the firearm was obtained.
The small campus of roughly 250 students was placed on lockdown shortly after 8.30am, according to the school. One student told the San Antonio television station, KSAT, that they heard loud bangs coming from a room on the second floor and then heard screaming.
Another student told the TV station that she heard five shots and yelling before her debate teacher told students to get inside a classroom.
Students were bused to a nearby middle school, where parents stood in long lines, some praying, as they waited to be reunited. Reynolds said the family members of the shooter had also gone into the reunification line.
“We’re trying to collect as much information as we can from witnesses,” Reynolds said.
Jesse Lopez, a parent, told KSAT that it will be difficult to tell his daughter that she has to eventually go back to class.
“For one, she has autism, and she’ll be afraid to go back, she’ll be real afraid to go back,” Lopez said.
The school cancelled classes for Tuesday but counselors would still be made available for students and families, the principal, Julie Wiley, said in a statement. She did not provide details about the teacher’s condition.
“Our hearts are with everyone [affected], especially that teacher, their family, and our school community,” Wiley said. “We know this has been a difficult day.”
The high school, which is 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 is centered on science, technology, engineering, arts and math, known as Steam, with electives that include cybersecurity and engineering.
The school opened in August 2020 with a freshman class. It has since grown to offer grades nine through 12.
@nbcnewsA student shot a teacher at a Texas high school before fatally shooting himself, law enforcement said. The teacher was hospitalized and the student, a 15-year-old boy, died at the scene.
