Deer Park High School witnessed a distressing incident on Wednesday when a student was apprehended with a gun and subsequently taken into custody by the authorities.
Deer Park ISD informed ABC13 that they received an anonymous tip via their alert system, indicating that a student had a firearm. Remarkably, the tipster even provided the name of the student involved.
“I was in lunch, I saw a message from my school saying an incident happened, and that is when I had a talk with my friends about the incident, and that is when they all told me,” Jaden Grau, a student at Deer Park High School, said.
Alex Bozarjian, a reporter from Eyewitness News, inquired whether Elvira St. Brice, the mother of Grau, felt her son was secure at school.
“Oh, no way,” exclaimed St. Brice. Her response is likely to strike a chord with parents all over.
Her fears and anxiety amplified on Wednesday after finding out about Wednesday’s incident.
The district sent the following message to the community:
“Dear Parent/Guardian, I am writing on behalf of the administrators at Deer Park High School-South Campus to inform you of an incident that took place at the school this morning. We received an Anonymous Alerts message informing us that a student had a weapon at school today. The message included the name of the student who reportedly brought the weapon to school, so the assistant principals and the School Resource Officer were able to quickly locate the student and arrest him. No one was harmed, and the student did not threaten anyone else. The incident is under investigation, so we do not have any more details at this time. We will share more information as it becomes available. I want to close by recognizing the individuals who reported the incident through our Anonymous Alerts system. Even though we are not aware of any threats to our school by the student who brought the weapon, those who reported the incident helped keep our school safe by reporting suspicious behavior.”
St. Brice is grateful that the situation did not escalate, but she feels powerless to safeguard her son.
Every day, it’s important to embrace your loved ones and hold onto the hope that they will return home safely.
Deer Park ISD reported that they have received 18 tips through their alert system in the past week. These tips cover a range of concerns, such as bullying, weapons, threats, conflicts between students, and suspicious behavior.
According to Mike Matranga, the vice chairman of the National Council for School Safety Directors, all of these behaviors can serve as warning signs for potential violence.
“Grievances are the number one cause of violence in the United States. “Whether that be at school or in the workplace or our communities, people don’t just decide to wake up and take a gun to school for no apparent reason,” Matranga said.
The reason behind this is complex, but the alarming number of these incidents in Texas cannot be ignored.
According to the K-12 shooting database, Texas experienced 30 incidents involving firearms on school campuses from 2004 to 2013.
Between 2014 and 2023, the number of these incidents more than tripled, reaching a total of 96.
In the decade leading up to 2023, K-12 schools across the country witnessed a significant rise in firearm incidents, with nearly 1,500 reported cases. This represents a staggering 324% increase compared to the previous decade’s 346 incidents.
Children imitate the behaviors of adults they observe in their households and communities.
Deer Park ISD ensures that every tip, regardless of its size or nature, is thoroughly investigated.
St. Brice encourages her son to pay attention in today’s world.
“That’s why I am teaching my son to get off his phone and to always look at his surroundings, so hopefully he learned,” St. Brice said.