A school shooting occurred at Santa Fe High School outside Houston, Texas, on Friday. The shooter was a 17-year-old student wearing a trench coat that concealed a shotgun and pistol. The shooter shot and killed nine students and one teacher before surrendering themselves to the police, according to authorities.
Taking place less than three months after the shooting at Parkland Florida, the event has re-sparked the ongoing debate against firearms ownership in the United States.
Students reported that the shooter opened fire on an art class around 8 AM, triggering a full evacuation of the school. Their behavior was classified as suspicious when they wore a trench coat on a day when temperatures reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated that the shooter has obtained the firearms from their father, who owned them legally. It was also stated that there were explosive devices available to them, which they left behind. He also stated that they intended to commit suicide, according to the suspect’s journals.
“Not only did [they] want to commit the shooting, but [they] wanted to commit suicide after the shooting. [They] didn’t have the courage to commit suicide.”
A charging document obtained by Reuters claimed that the shooter spared people that they liked, to tell their story. The shooter was charged with capital murder and denied bail at a brief court hearing later on Friday.
Aside from private journal entries, the shooter displayed no outward “red flags,” according to Abbott.
Our sympathies go out to those affected by this incident. We wrote an article about ways you can keep your kids safe at school, should they be faced with a similar situation. While I wish we wouldn’t need to report on things such as this, it’s important that we are prepared.