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Houston school shooting: Principal injured after former student, 25, opens fire

No students were injured and the suspected gunman, a 25-year-old Black male and former YES Prep Southwest student, is in custody

HOUSTON, TEXAS: One person was taken into custody after gunfire erupted at a Texas prep school. The suspect, 25, was reported to be a former student of the YES Prep Southwest Secondary where the incident occurred. One person was reported to be injured in the said incident as cops continue to hunt for other potential suspects. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, Houston Fire Department confirmed. A school official noted that the victim was shot in the back and was undergoing surgery.

The Houston Police Department responded to shots being fired at YES Prep Southwest Secondary in Houston, Texas, on Friday, October 1 at 11.45 am. In a spate of school shootings recently, we have reported how several fights broke out at Annapolis High School early Wednesday, September 29 morning resulting in stabbings that sent two students to the hospital. A 15-year-old student was taken into custody after he allegedly shot another student following a fight last month, at New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, while a sixth-grader girl at Rigby Middle School in Idaho went on a shooting spree injuring three before being arrested.

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Officers were searching the school and its surroundings for any other possible suspects and asked the people to avoid the area. ABC13 reports that the suspected gunman, who police identified as a 25-year-old Black male once attended YES Prep Southwest. The former student is now in custody. Police say the suspect gained entry into the school by shooting a locked glass door. The suspect then opened fire at a school employee. In a news release, the school confirmed that the administrator who had been shot was the school's principal, Eric Espinoza. According to the school, Espinoza has non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be released from the hospital on Friday.

The Houston Police Department said in a statement, "There is one suspect in custody. Officers are searching the school for any other possible suspects at this time. Scene is still active." A Facebook post by YES Prep Southwest Secondary said no students were injured in the shooting.

"ATTENTION FAMILIES: Police are on campus with a suspect in custody who opened fire inside the school. No students have been injured. Students have been transported to W. Fuqua and Hiram Clarke, where they can be picked up. Please do not drive to the school; roads are blocked by Houston Police Department. We are gathering information and will pass along as soon as we can, " the school wrote.

"We cannot imagine the terror you must have felt as the events unfolded. [Friday's] shocking incident is one that no student, parent or educator should ever have to go through or cope with on their own. We have counselors standing by to help anyone needing support over the weekend, next week, and through the school year," the school further stated in its press release.

YES Prep Southwest Secondary is a charter school that serves students in the 6th through 12th grades. A staging area was set up by the police for parents to reunite with their kids at West Fuqua and Hiram Clarke.