A 15-year-old student shot a teacher at a Texas high school and then fatally shot himself on Monday, according to authorities, who were still investigating what led to the early morning attack. No other injuries were reported at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Bulverde, a small but growing city near San Antonio. The male student died on the scene, and a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told The Associated Press that the student died from a self-inflicted gunshot. The incident sent shockwaves through a tight-knit community that had never seen anything like it before.
What Happened on the Morning of March 30, 2026
The school was placed on lockdown at 8:34 a.m., and the bell schedule listed online shows that classes start at 8:55 a.m. One student told KSAT-TV that they heard loud bangs coming from a room on the second floor and then heard screaming. Students interviewed by NBC affiliate WOAI of San Antonio reported hearing multiple gunshots. Deputies were dispatched to the Mustang Vista area near the school after reports of shots being fired.
Multiple agencies, including the Bulverde Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Rangers, responded to the campus. The Comal County Sheriff’s Office, Bulverde Police Department, Texas DPS, and Texas Rangers are all investigating this case. At 9:38 a.m., the district said the school was secure and students would be taken to Bulverde Middle School to be picked up by their parents. Reynolds said authorities believe the student shot himself after shooting the teacher. Reynolds also said he received a call from the FBI and from U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), whose district includes Bulverde.
The School, the Community, and the Ongoing Investigation
Hill Country College Preparatory High School was founded in August 2020 and is a specialized high school as a “school of choice” within Comal ISD. It began as freshmen only but has grown to offer grades 9-12, with a focus on college, career and military readiness, and STEAM. About 250 students attend the school, Reynolds said Monday. It collaborates with area colleges, including the University of Texas and Northeast Lakeview College, and offers more than a dozen Advanced Placement courses.
The suspected shooter’s parents were among those in the reunification line, the sheriff said, and investigators will try to determine how the boy got his hands on a firearm. It remains unknown what connection the student and the teacher had. Investigators are also working to learn where the student got the gun as well as looking into the student’s history and speaking with witnesses. The school canceled classes for Tuesday but counselors would still be made available for students and families, principal Julie Wiley said in a statement. In Comal ISD, data collected by KSAT Investigates shows that reports of student-caused injuries were nearly 20 times higher in the 2024-25 school year than in the two school years prior, with educators reporting being bitten, headbutted and choked by students during that period.
School Shootings in Texas and the Broader U.S. Context
Texas and California were both in the top three states with the most school shooting incidents in 2025. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database’s interactive map, Texas had 21 incidents that year, California had 22, and Tennessee came in third with 14. Texas had the second highest total number of school shootings of any state since 1966, with 237 shootings on record. Nearly 60% of K-12 shooting incidents occur at high schools, reflecting the concentration of older students and complex social dynamics.
The number of school shootings continued a downward trend in 2025 with a recorded 233 incidents, the lowest number since 2020. The number of annual school shootings peaked in 2023 with 352 incidents, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. Around 89% of shooters in K-12 schools are younger than 22 years old, commonly around high school age, and the vast majority – roughly 98% – are identified as male. Firearms remain the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
