In a troubling start to the school year, five Houston-area schools faced security breaches involving firearms, sparking urgent demands for enhanced safety protocols. In three of the incidents, students were found bringing guns onto campus.
At Galena Park High School, a student was found with a gun during a routine code-of-conduct violation inquiry, according to ABC 13. Although no one was harmed, the discovery raised serious safety concerns. A Harris County Precinct 2 deputy confiscated the firearm, and the student now faces disciplinary action.
Similarly, at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena ISD, a student was found with a gun after a tip led to an investigation. The student was immediately arrested, removed from campus for the remainder of the year, and is expected to face charges. Bunker Hill Elementary in Spring Branch ISD experienced a related scare when students reported seeing a suspicious individual, possibly armed, near the school grounds. The school went into lockdown, but officers found no weapon.
At Bellaire High School, two separate incidents involving weapons occurred within the same week. On August 27, a student was detained after a gun was found on campus. A second weapon, possibly a gun, was discovered on August 30. Principal Michael Niggli communicated to parents that additional safety measures, including increased police presence, would be implemented. Houston Chronicle interviewed Bellaire High School parents, who called for stricter security protocols, such as metal detectors and clear backpacks. Tiffany Morrissette, a parent of two juniors, expressed her support for stronger safety measures, saying, "Even one gun we keep out is one less chance of something horrible happening."
These Houston-area incidents come amid a nationwide conversation on school safety, further amplified by a recent school shooting in Georgia that claimed four lives.
Statistics from Everytown Research reveal that in 2024, there have been at least 139 incidents of gunfire on school grounds across the U.S., resulting in 42 deaths and 91 injuries. In Texas, 16 such incidents occurred, leading to seven deaths and six injuries, surpassing the total number of incidents reported in 2023.
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