UPDATE: A BCSO spokesman confirmed later Tuesday afternoon that at least one of the teens is facing at least one charge, though he did not specify what, citing the suspect’s age.. It does not appear the second is facing any charges at this time.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Two juveniles were taken into custody after an airsoft gun was found in a vehicle on the Pieper High School campus, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
The school has been cleared by deputies and is secure, according to the sheriff.
Deputies responded to an active situation near the 1400 block of Kinder Parkway around 9:43 a.m. on Tuesday.
During a news conference, the sheriff said a parent grew concerned after their child was threatened with what they believed to be a real weapon in the parking lot. Deputies cleared the school but found a realistic airsoft gun in a vehicle in the parking lot of the school.
In a press release, the Bexar County Constable Precinct 3 said there was also a second report that indicated a student was inside a bathroom being held at gunpoint, prompting the lockdown.
WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW:
No weapon or credible threat was found inside the school, the sheriff said.
The high school was placed on lockdown at 9:43 a.m. and was taken off lockdown around noon, according to a social media post from Comal Independent School District.
Constable says BCSO’s level of response was not needed; sheriff defends decision
On Tuesday afternoon, Bexar County Constable Precinct 3 Mark Vojvodich told KSAT his officers identified the threat and located the airsoft gun within the first 20 to 25 minutes.
“There was nobody outstanding with a weapon, nor did a firearm ever enter the school,” Vojvodich said. “So we were prepared to terminate the event and go back to normal business.”
Vojvodich said his office was prepared to end the situation much earlier but said BCSO decided to conduct a full search of the school, bringing in 30 to 40 officers in tactical gear.
“There was no need for that sheriff’s office response at this level,” Vojvodich said. “There was no driving force. There was no continuing threat.”
Vojvodich said the large law enforcement presence in the hallways caused more panic among students, which led to more 911 calls — creating what he described as self-feeding.
“Common sense would tell you if kids are seeing people in a hallway in tactical gear and they’re being told to stay there, they’re going to panic further when they make these phone calls,” he said. “The more you create that increase in police presence, the more of those 911 calls you’re going to get.”
Because of BCSO’s response, the constable’s office said school administration made the decision for early dismissal of students.
Salazar told KSAT his office continued the search because deputies kept receiving 911 calls from students inside the campus.
“I think it’s always easy to find something to criticize law enforcement over, but at this point, I’d rather be accused of overreacting to a situation involving a weapon in a school than underreacting,” Salazar said. “I think we’ve seen the effects of what happens when law enforcement underreacts to a situation like this and then it turns out to be a real situation.”
Salazar said the lockdown has since been lifted and students are moving freely through the school. He said reunification with parents would take place at the school.
“We get that nerves are shot, but we’re asking people to just be patient,” Salazar said.
The Bexar County Constable Precinct 3 has had a law enforcement presence inside Pieper High School since 2022 under an active interlocal agreement with Comal ISD for law enforcement services at every Comal school located in north Bexar County.
