BULVERDE, TX — A 15-year-old male student shot a teacher at Hill Country College Preparatory High School Monday morning before dying at the scene, prompting a campus lockdown and massive law enforcement response in this Comal County community.
The shooting occurred during morning classes at the specialized high school located at 3615 Mustang Vista, about 30 miles north of San Antonio. The female teacher was transported to a San Antonio hospital in unknown condition, while the student was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released details about how the student died or whether the death was self-inflicted. No other injuries were reported in the incident.
Comal County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded immediately to reports of gunfire on campus. “What we can tell you is this situation is contained, and there is no ongoing threat to students,” the sheriff’s office stated in a Facebook post. Principal Julie Wiley sent a letter to parents confirming that law enforcement officials were on campus and the building was secure. “Students and staff are in a secure area and the threat has been contained,” Wiley wrote. The FBI deployed personnel to assist state and local law enforcement partners in the investigation.
Students and staff were evacuated by bus to nearby Bulverde Middle School at 29975 Wiley Road for reunification with parents. Officials required authorized individuals listed in school records to present valid photo identification before releasing students. Parents expressed concerns about their children’s safety and emotional well-being following the traumatic incident. Sarah Valdez, mother of a freshman at the school, said she immediately called her son despite knowing students weren’t supposed to use phones during the lockdown. Jesse Lopez worried about telling his daughter with autism that she would eventually need to return to class, saying “she’ll be afraid to go back, she’ll be real afraid to go back.”
Hill Country College Preparatory High School opened in August 2020 as a specialized “school of choice” within Comal Independent School District. The school focuses on college, career and military readiness through STEAM education and operates as a New Technology High School. It initially served only freshmen but has expanded to offer grades 9-12, collaborating with area colleges including the University of Texas and Northeast Lakeview College while providing more than a dozen Advanced Placement courses. The school moved from its initial location at Spring Branch Middle School to its dedicated campus in recent years.
The Comal County Sheriff’s Office scheduled a press conference for 3 p.m. Monday to provide additional details about the shooting investigation. Multiple law enforcement agencies remained on campus as investigators processed the scene throughout the day. Authorities asked the public to avoid the area unless picking up students to keep roads clear for emergency crews. The campus remained on lockdown as of late Monday morning while investigators gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses to determine the circumstances that led to the shooting.
The investigation continues as authorities work to piece together the events that unfolded during what began as a routine school day. Officials have not released information about potential motives or whether there were any warning signs prior to the incident.
