Parents tried to enter a Texas high school after hearing that there had been an active shooter. This was later proven false. As they tried to gain access to Jefferson High School, the lockdown was in effect and the parents became angry with the officers. A police officer threw one injured man to the ground.
Reports of a school shooting were received around 1 p.m. Tuesday. According to Chief Johnny Reyes, San Antonio Independent School District police, officers from San Antonio conducted a room-by-room search with strike teams.
Many parents were still reminiscing about the mistakes of law enforcement in the Uvalde school shooting.
Due to the potential danger, the school was placed on lockdown. Parents panic-stricken tried to enter the school but were refused entry by police officers, some with physical force.
Express-News reported that parents were becoming increasingly angry and waited for over an hour to report that they received messages from their children who had heard shots. “Some claimed it began with a fight.”
Video captures a man crying in pain as he clutches his bleeding arm, which was apparently cut after he broke a school glass window. Then, suddenly, a police officer hit him on the ground. As he was being handcuffed, a crowd of parents surrounded him.
The San Antonio Police Department said the man was provided with a tourniquet and taken to the hospital with “non-life-threatening” injuries.
Officials from the school district said that the man would not be charged.
Parents and cops got into each other’s faces in the chaotic response to the school shooting. A man is being pushed by a police officer.
According to the police, some people “became unruly.”
Matt Roy, a WOAI reporter, posted videos of the chaos at Jefferson High School.
WARNING: This video contains graphic content
WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC VIDEO AND STRONG LANGUAGE
Parent punches and breaks window, cuts his wrist or hand before brawl breaks out on campus of Jefferson high. Madness ensues.
Kids have now been released pic.twitter.com/HtGA5JajrE
— Matt Roy (@MattRoy_TV) September 20, 2022
Earlier today, hundreds of parents converged on Jefferson High School after hearing reports of gunfire at the school. Police had issues controlling the crowd for what turned out to be a false alarm. pic.twitter.com/0JlTzyNWN1
— San Antonio Express-News (@ExpressNews) September 21, 2022
San Antonio Police Department stated Tuesday at 2:26 p.m. that the school had been cleared and was deemed safe.
Marty Gonzalez, a Jefferson High School student, told KSAT-TV that he was supposed to be happy at school and with his friends. Today, however, was not one of those days. “Today my life could have been in jeopardy.”
Christopher Corrales, a student, said that this was one of the things he would have to learn from. It’s also one of the things he will remember for the rest of his life. Although they told us to raise our hands, it is still wrong for a gun to be pointed at our faces.
Each class begins with students being required to return their phones.
Audrey Cardenas, a mother to a Jefferson High School student, said that she was in a panic over the situation.
“I couldn’t get a hold of him, and if he were an active shooter, what would I do if he got shot? Like, it’s not okay,” Cardenas said. It’s not okay for them to take their phones with them, especially after what happened at Robb Elementary. It is not acceptable.
Chief Reyes stated that students should be allowed to use their phones because it allows them to communicate directly with the inside world. They may also communicate with their parents by using the phone to say, “Mom, it’s okay.” “Dad, I’m fine.”
Jaime Aquino, San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent, stated that the school had a phone policy. “They wanted to make certain that they, the students didn’t have phones interrupting instruction. But we don’t have any policy, and every campus has the right to revisit that.”
Aquino spoke of the shooting at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde. There were 19 victims and two teachers killed. It took law enforcement 77 minutes for the shooter to be stopped. “I assume that if Uvalde had not been there, we might not have had the parents’ reaction, so we have to accept that,” Aquino stated.
“This is not going be a Uvalde scenario,” Aquino said, “We will react and respond appropriately.”
Officials from San Antonio Independent School District stated Wednesday that protocols were followed correctly, but communication with parents could and would be improved. The school district will begin sending parents emergency text messages and using bullhorns for large-crowd communication.
