Parents and staff at Sharpstown High School faced a tense morning Wednesday after a man fired shots at students near the campus, prompting a lockdown. According to police, the shooter was driving a white, two-door pickup truck and confronted a group of five or six students in a car. He got out of his truck and began shooting at them. The students escaped uninjured, and the suspect fled the scene.
A short time later, however, the same man fired two more shots at another car carrying teenagers nearby. No injuries were reported in that shooting either. Police believe the shooter knew both groups of teens.
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The school initially entered “secure mode” but shifted to full lockdown when administrators suspected a connection between the gunman and a student on campus. The individual was identified as a Sharpstown High School student, but no weapons were found inside the building. The lockdown, which began at 9:52 a.m., was lifted at 12:25 p.m. Houston ISD reassured parents that the incident occurred off campus and that all students and staff remained safe.
Houston ISD Police Chief Shamara Garner praised the Houston Police Department’s efforts. “They will be the lead investigators,” Garner stated. Meanwhile, parents like Mattie Johnson expressed deep concern over the safety of the area, noting frequent incidents involving youth near the school.
“Yesterday when I was coming to get my son across the street, the gang unit was over there, [near Bissonnet St. and Bonhomme Rd.] and they had them hemmed up. There were a lot of kids,” Johnson said.
Parents received two different emails on Wednesday, letting them know the school was on lockdown after shots were fired near the school during morning drop-off.
“They can’t even go to school. It happened early in the morning. This street is full of kids... So, for them to say that they were shooting all in the streets. They could have shot and killed anybody,” said Johnson.
A suspicious vehicle was also located on South Gessner Rd. Police reported the vehicle had bullet holes.
HISD provided us with the following statement:
The lockdown at Sharpstown HS was lifted at 12:25 p.m. The Houston Police Department is the lead agency as the incident occurred off campus. Please direct questions about the investigation to HPD.
Please see below for the communication sent to Sharpstown families.
This is an update from the Principal Cotter at Sharpstown High School. The Lockdown at Sharpstown HS has been lifted as of 12:25pm and the campus is now All Clear. The school was in Lockdown from 9:52am to 12:25pm due to an incident that occurred near campus. To be clear, there were no shots fired on campus, no students are injured, and the incident did not occur at the school.
The school day will continue and students are encouraged to remain in class for the remainder of the day. For additional questions, please contact the Family Connections Center at 713-556-7121. Again, this was an important update from Principal Cotter at Sharpstown High School.