Active shooter call at Heights High School in Houston, all clear given

HOUSTON - No injuries were reported after an unconfirmed report of an active shooter at Houston ISD’s Heights High School on Tuesday afternoon, authorities say.

Officials say the call came in around 1 p.m., prompting a large law enforcement response to the school at 413 E. 13th Street.

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Assistant Chief Rodgers with the Houston Independent School District Police Department said they responded to a fight in progress between two students. 

Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said they received the call through the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office, and officers arrived within minutes. 

Finner stated they received a report about 10 people that were shot in Room 213. He said the door on the opposite side was locked, so officials breached the door and began searching the campus. 

Several agencies responded to the scene including the Houston Police Department, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office and the Houston Fire Department. 

No student injuries were reported. However, HFD Chief Sam Pena said one officer was treated for heat exhaustion. 

In a statement, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, "I want to thank Houston Police, Houston Fire, the Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office, and Houston ISD for their prompt response at Heights High School. While the reports of an active shooter turned out to be false, we are reminded that student safety and school security are paramount on the minds of students, parents and employees of all school districts. Today’s response to the emergency calls reinforces how seriously our first responders take these incidents, and illustrates the constant training they undergo to take such quick and responsive action."

During the initial investigation, the high school, as well as Hogg and Hamilton Middle School, were placed on lockdown as a precaution.

Houston ISD released a statement saying a threat was made against the high school, but no evidence had been found to substantiate it.

Following the report of the shooting, parents of students at the high school began showing up at the school looking to pick up their children. 

Following the news conference, Houston ISD officials said students would be released to parents at the intersection of 14th and Arlington or on school buses. 

The investigation into who called in the report remains under investigation. 

According to law enforcement sources at least four false calls were made today about active shooters at schools. The one at Heights High School, another one in Texas and two in Los Angeles. All the calls were apparently made through the internet.

Filing a false police report is usually a misdemeanor, but it can be upgraded to more serious charges if a first responder is injured or killed while responding to the false emergency.