Eagle Pass High School Placed in Lockdown Due to Gun Situation, Suspects Detained, and Students Released from School after Lockdown
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2024
The Eagle Pass High School, located at 2020 Second Street, in Eagle Pass, Texas was placed on lockdown due to reports of a student with a gun at school reported by students, teachers, and staff at approximately 1:12 p.m. (CST) on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Eagle Pass High School has over 2,000 students enrolled and was in the middle of the school day when the situation unfolded.
According to eyewitnesses, a student at Eagle Pass High School had a gun in his possession and students, teachers, and staff went into a chaotic, frenzy as students hid under desks, implemented the active shooter drill, and ran for their safety. Many students immediately texted or called their parents to advise them of the lockdown.
All law enforcement authorities immediately responded to the active shooter situation and rushed to Eagle Pass High School to assist the Eagle Pass Independent School District Police Department, including the Eagle Pass Police Department, Maverick County Sheriff’s Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, U. S. Border Patrol, and other agencies.
At least two male students at Eagle Pass High School were detained, including one at the school cafeteria kitchen area, and escorted out of the high school by law enforcement authorities. A gun was found in the alleged possession of one of the male students and removed from him without incident, but not before total pandemonium ensued in the over 2,000 strong student school had occurred.
Many parents rushed to the school to pick up their children, but were allegedly not allowed to park at the school and had to park outside the school campus in order to pick up their children.
One concerned parent who requested anonymity contacted the Eagle Pass Business Journal and stated that students, parents, and teachers had previously warned the school administration, including the principal, since the Fall 2023 semester that a particular student had made threats against classmates and was constantly reviewing gun magazines, websites, and material, requesting the school district to monitor and/or remove the student from the high school and his classmates as they felt their safety threatened by this student.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal attempted to contact Eagle Pass Independent School District Superintendent Samuel Mijares for comment on the lockdown and situation, but he did not reply to the Eagle Pass Business Journal’s messages as of press time.
With the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District school shooting massacre at Robb Elementary happening less than two years ago, on May 24, 2022, that claimed 19 students and two teachers lives and only 68 miles away from Eagle Pass, Texas, Eagle Pass parents have been extremely concerned with the extreme invasion rhetoric and militarization of the U. S.-Mexico border by Texas Governor Greg Abbott as part of his political and ideological feud with the United States federal government, particularly against President Joe Biden.
Eagle Pass parents worst kept secret and fear is that this extremist invasion and politicization rhetoric might cause an individual or group to attempt to carry out a mass massacre in the community similar to the one at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary and/or the El Paso Walmart on August 3, 2019 that resulted in the death of 23 deaths of innocent victims and injured 21 additional innocent people while shattering the peace and tranquility of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Eagle Pass parents and taxpayers demand a full investigation of the Eagle Pass High School lockdown on April 25, 2024 due to a student possessing a gun inside the school and whether any school personnel and administration officials had been forewarned of the students detained and/or had prior knowledge of the students detained and what precautions they took to avoid this type of situation from occurring as well as what security measures are they going to take to avoid this type of situation from occurring again in the future.
Fortunately, no students or people were shot or injured in today’s Eagle Pass High School lockdown, but the students, teachers, and staff definitely believed and lived through the anxiety and tension of an active shooter situation—not knowing if they would survive the ordeal.
Early reports state the school district is reporting that the student’s gun was “ a toy Airsoft gun,” but unquestionably the situation that unfolded at Eagle Pass High School was real and life-threatening to the thousands of students, teachers, and staff at the school at the time of the incident.
Law enforcement authorities are commended for their quick response to the situation at Eagle Pass High School today, but there was sufficient time and opportunity for severe and tragic consequences to have occurred had different circumstances happened.
A concerned parent of an Eagle Pass High School student contacted this publication and queried if the Eagle Pass Independent School District is going to allow the detained students to return to school as his child does not feel safe attending classes with these students. The parent suggested that these students require a more professional and structured educational setting and environment than Eagle Pass High School offers.
The case is under investigation by law enforcement authorities.
Updated 04/26/2024 at 10:40 a.m.
