COMAL COUNTY, Texas – A 15-year-old student is dead after shooting a teacher at Hill Country College Preparatory High School and then turning the gun on himself, Comal County Sheriff Mark Reynolds said Monday.
In a Facebook post, the Comal County Sheriff’s Office said the teacher was taken to a hospital in San Antonio. The teacher’s condition is unknown, Reynolds said in a Monday afternoon news conference.
>> What we know about the deadly shooting at Hill Country College Preparatory High School near Bulverde
The student was pronounced dead at the scene, CCSO said in the post. Reynolds said authorities believe the student shot himself after shooting the teacher.
Watch the full Monday afternoon news conference below:
CCSO stated there was no active shooter on the campus. Law enforcement officials are still on the campus as the investigation continues.
The Hill Country College Preparatory High School, located near Bulverde at 3615 Mustang Vista, was placed on lockdown Monday morning.
Reynolds said multiple agencies responded to the school and the “situation was contained very, very quickly.”
Students were transported to Bulverde Middle School for reunification with parents.
>> Parents, student express safety concerns after student shoots teacher at Comal ISD campus
“We know this is incredibly difficult to hear,” the post said, in part. “What we can tell you is this situation is contained, and there is no ongoing threat to students.”
In a letter to parents, Principal Julie Wiley said law enforcement officials are on campus and the building is secure.
“Students and staff are in a secure area and the threat has been contained,” Wiley said.
Reynolds said authorities are investigating where the firearm came from. He said the sheriff’s office will continue to have a presence as needed, and their focus is on supporting those affected.
“What happened today is something no community ever wants to face, but we prepare for something that we hope never occurs,” he said.
In a separate message Monday afternoon, Wiley said there will be no school Tuesday, March 31.
Wiley said counselors will be available to students and families from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at Mammen Family Public Library, 131 Bulverde Crossing.
Any vehicles or personal belongings left on campus will remain secured until further notice, Wiley said, and guidance will be sent out about how to retrieve items.
‘Afraid to go back’: Parents react to shooting
Sarah Valdez, a mother of a freshman at Hill Country Preparatory College High School, said it’s sad that this is a reality for students.
“We got an alert from Comal ISD that the school is on lockdown, and I called my son, even though I knew they’re not supposed to be using phones,” Valdez said.
Jesse Lopez stated that he’ll hold onto his daughter once they reunite, but it’ll be difficult telling her that she has to eventually go back to class.
“That’s going to be hard to do because, for one, she has autism, and she’ll be afraid to go back, she’ll be real afraid to go back,” Lopez said.
What we know about the school
Hill Country College Preparatory High School was founded in August 2020.
It is a specialized high school as a “school of choice” within Comal ISD.
It began as freshmen only but has grown to offer grades 9-12. It’s focused on college, career and military readiness, and STEAM. It’s a New Technology High School (NTN).
About 250 students attend the school, Reynolds said Monday.
The school initially operated on the campus of Spring Branch Middle School but has since moved to its own dedicated campus.
It collaborates with area colleges, including the University of Texas and Northeast Lakeview College, and offers more than a dozen Advanced Placement courses.
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