A female student has died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting and injuring another female student at a high school in the West Texas town of Alpine Thursday morning, the Brewster County sheriff said.
"The shooter appears to have shot herself," Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson told radio station KVLF.
The school was placed on lockdown and the students were evacuated after reports of the active shooter just before 9 a.m.
Dodson said another female was shot and wounded during the incident. She ran out of the school and into the street, where witnesses took her to a hospital.
"This community does not expect this," he said. "We don't want this and we can't explain it yet."
While police were clearing the school, Dodson said a federal agent's weapon accidentally discharged and wounded an officer. The officer's condition was not released.
Ruth Hucke, a spokeswoman for Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine, said hospital personnel were tending to three "victims."
Hucke declined to say how the victims were injured or further identify them. When asked if the victims had been shot, Hucke said she "can't say anything further."
Hucke said the hospital would provide a statement later Thursday. She had no additional details.
William Butler, a 17-year-old senior at the school, said he was in pre-calculus when he heard his friend screaming for people to run, NBC News reported.
Butler said another teacher ran into the room and told all the students to hide. They turned off the lights and locked the door. The school was put on lockdown, Butler told NBC News. A few minutes later Butler said he heard a gunshot.
"It was scary, I didn't really know what was going to happen," Butler said. "The cops knocked on the door a little bit later and started to escort everyone out. When the police escorted us out of the classroom, there was a trail of blood going from the hallway I was going in towards the band hall."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement: “I am currently monitoring the active shooter situation in Alpine. I have directed my office to offer any measure of support needed to assist the law enforcement officials currently working this case. I wish to extend prayers and sympathy to any victims’ families and their loved ones who have been affected by this senseless act of violence.”
The school district's website says the town of about 5,900 residents has three schools.
Sul Ross State University in Alpine also was placed on lockdown. due to a bomb threat.
Alpine is 220 miles southeast of El Paso.
