The Santa Fe High School student suspected of being the shooter who killed 10 people Friday morning is a male student, law enforcement officials say.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters that “one male is in custody” and that there is another “person of interest” involved in the developing situation. “Both are believed to be students here,” Gonzalez said Friday, according to CBS News.
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Gonzalez said the majority of people killed were students. Two students and a school resource officer were shot and injured. Another law enforcement officer was also injured but was not shot.
Santa Fe High School Assistant Principal Cris Richardson told CBS News a suspect “has been arrested and secured.”
The school district issued a statement confirming multiple injuries but no fatalities this morning. Students were transported to the nearby Alamo Gym, where they can reunite with their parents.
“This morning an incident occurred at the high school involving an active shooter,” the post read. “The situation is active, but has been contained. There have been confirmed injuries. Details will be released as we receive updated information. Law enforcement will continue to secure the building and initiate all emergency management protocols to release and move students to another location. All other campuses are operating under their regular schedules.”
Law enforcement responded to the situation around 8 a.m. Friday after receiving reports of shots fired.
Witnesses say the shooting took place in an art class on campus between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. and that the shooter was using a shotgun. Police have not confirmed witness reports that the shooter was using a shotgun.
Richardson has since told reporters that there was an active shooting inside the school and that school officials “hope the worst is over.”
“We have done an amazing job to get the students out of the building safely and to reunited them with parents as we are able to and that’s about all I can tell you right now,” Richardson said.
Santa Fe is a city of about 13,000 residents, located 30 miles southeast of Houston. Santa Fe High School has more than 1,400 students in grades 9-12.
Law enforcement responded to the same school in February when it was placed on lockdown after students and teachers said they heard “popping sounds.” Santa Fe police swept the campus but found no threat.
