Another shooting is underway in one of our country's high schools:
- Police are responding to reports of shots fired at Santa Fe High School near Houston, Texas.
- A message on the Santa Fe Independent School District's website called the incident an "active shooter."
- The school is in lockdown.
Thus far there are reports of one girl shot after a gunman walked into an art class this morning. Perp reported to have had a handgun and shotgun, in addition to explosive devices. Kids being evacuated:
Santa Fe Police, Galveston County Sheriff's Office and ATF agents have all responded to the school at 16000 Highway 6. Students are being lined up outside the school, and their backpacks are being deposited for officials.
Police reporting multiple wounded, per this source. More developing:
One parent who drove to the school after learning about the shooting told ABC13 his son was able to run to a nearby gas station but that several students were being taken away on stretchers.
There is no official confirmation of injuries or fatalities at this time, but ”there does appear to be a possible body under a sheet near an exit door.” Photos from helicopter are here.
ATF is responding:
Update:
According to local ABC Affiliate and other sources , suspect has been taken into custody.
Santa Fe is a city of about 13,000 residents located 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Houston.
Further update: Multiple fatalities are being reported in CBS news live feeds and Houston area media but this is not yet confirmed.
Update: At least ten students killed, per the Houston Chronicle—nine students and a teacher, with ten additional injured, including one policeman. Some sources say nine fatalities—it’s not clear yet.
According to the live feed, students are being quickly brought to a lot across the street to rendezvous with their panic-stricken parents who received robo-calls about the shooting at home, just after school began this morning. For several of these parents, they will wait and wait in that parking lot, but their children will never show up.
From the students being interviewed:
"I was sitting in my classroom and I heard really loud booms, but I really didn't know what they were at first," student Dakota Schrader said. "Then, I realized what they were when I heard screaming."
"I never thought it would happen here," said Tyler Turner.
"It hurts my heart to see this happening," another student said. "I don't feel safe in this town anymore ... There was nothing we could do but run."
Update: This piece of shit has now weighed in:
“Not looking good.” Thanks for your profound concern, you heartless asshole.
Update: Sources now reporting two suspects in custody, but this is unconfirmed. Reports now say one in custody, one being “detained.”
And here is a gun-toting Trump supporter arriving on the scene to celebrate:
Update; Shooter Identified:
The murderer has been identified as a 17 year old male student at the school, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, whose social media feeds identify him as a gun fetishist with a penchant for Nazi and Soviet-style military regalia.
Pagourtzis was also following gun-related accounts on Instagram. The caption on his Instagram said “we all die sometime.”
- He is in the 11th grade at Santa Fe High School.
- He threw pipe bombs into some classrooms, witnesses say. Devices were found in and around the school, officials said.
- The weapon Pagourtzis used was described as a shotgun by witnesses, but police have not confirmed that.
- Law enforcement says a pressure cooker with an explosive device was found at the scene.
Parkland massacre survivor and student David Hogg:
“Get ready for two weeks of media coverage of politicians acting like they give a s*** when in reality they just want to boost their approval ratings before midterms,” he wrote.