Sheriff Ed Gonzales with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office told reporters that at least eight people are confirmed dead at Santa Fe High School. He said a second person of interest was also taken into custody for questioning.
Both people arrested are students, Gonzales said.
A law enforcement officer was reportedly among the injured.
The suspect’s arrest was confirmed by assistant principal at Santa Fe High School, Cris Richardson.
“We did have an active shooter in the building and that person has been arrested and secured,” she told NBC News.
A spokesman at the University of Texas Medical Branch said they are treating three victims of the shooting, according to KHOU-TV.
The spokesman said one victim, an adult male, is in surgery. Another victim is in the ER. One of the victims is a minor. The conditions of all three victims are unknown.
Police were called to the school shortly before 8 a.m. Friday after shots were fired. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also responded to the scene.
A student at the high school, Leila Butler, told KTRK-TV that fire alarms went off around 7:45 a.m. and that students exited their classrooms. She said some students heard gunshots and that she and her classmates and teachers are sheltering in place.
Some students were directed to exit the school and were patted down by officers, according to live footage from the station.
A nearby school district, Dickinson ISD, said it is taking precautionary measures and not letting students outside of the buildings.
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