A 15-year-old student fatally shot a Texas high school teacher and then killed himself Monday, according to authorities who are still investigating the cause of the early morning attack.
No other infections were reported at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Bulverde, a small but growing city near San Antonio.
The teacher was transferred to a nearby hospital. 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 are preparing for something that hopefully never happens,” Reynolds said.
He said that the student shot the teacher before shooting himself. Reynolds said investigators are working to understand the relationship between the student and teacher and are looking into how the firearm was obtained.
The small campus, which has about 250 students, was closed shortly after 8:30 a.m., according to the school. One student told a San Antonio television station Saudi Arabia They heard loud explosions coming from a room on the second floor and then heard screaming.
Another student told the television station that she heard five gunshots and screaming before the debate teacher asked the students to enter the classroom.
The students were bussed to a nearby middle school, where parents stood in long lines, some praying, waiting to be reunited. Reynolds said family members of the shooter also went to the reunion line.
“We are trying to gather as much information as possible from witnesses,” Reynolds said.
Jesse Lopez, a parent, told KSAT that it will be difficult to tell his daughter that she eventually has to go back to class.
“On the one hand, she’s autistic, and she’s going to be afraid to come back, she’s going to be really afraid to come back,” Lopez said.
The school canceled classes for Tuesday, but counselors will remain available to students and families, Principal Julie Wiley said in a statement. No details were provided about the teacher’s condition.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected, especially that teacher, his 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 needed to prepare students for college, according to the district’s website. Its curriculum focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, known as STEAM, with electives including cybersecurity and engineering.
The school opened in August 2020 with a new classroom. It has since grown to offer grades nine through twelfth.
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Associated Press reporter Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report from Kansas City, Missouri.