Baytown teen arrested after seen walking towards high school with gun, ammunition

HOUSTON - Baytown authorities arrested and charged a man seen walking towards a school with a gun.

Around 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Baytown and Goose Creek CISD police were called to Peter E. Hyland Center High School in the 1900 block of Decker Drive.

According to police, a man was seen walking towards the school, openly carrying a gun and multiple magazines of ammunition.

Officers with Baytown Police Department and Goose Creek CISD Police Department immediately responded to the scene and were able to detain the suspect within minutes of receiving the 911 call, officials say.

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The man was identified as 18-year-old Emmanuel Lopez.

He was taken to Baytown jail and charged with Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon on School Grounds.

Emmanuel Lopez (Photo courtesy Baytown Police Department)

Authorities say he was in possession of an alleged stolen firearm.

Baytown Police Department’s Chief, John Stringer stated:

"The Baytown Police Department appreciates the relationship it has with Goose Creek CISD as well as their police department. This is exactly why we have been training and working very closely with the ISD Police Department to respond to and prevent critical incidents from occurring. The Baytown Police Department, along with Goose Creek Police Department recently participated in an active shooter response drill at a school to prepare unified responses. We are also thankful for our citizens who trust us enough to become engaged and report when they see something suspicious. Our citizens even make us more effective through positive relationships."

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Baytown Mayor Brandon Capetillo and City Manager Jason Reynolds released a joint statement regarding the response:

"We want to praise the swift actions of several people today. First, the officers with our Baytown Police Department and Goose Creek CISD. They responded within seconds to resolve the situation and ultimately remove the threat. These incidents are what our officers practice for regularly and the response could not have been better. Also, thank you to our concerned resident who spotted this suspect and immediately alerted authorities. Your heroic efforts are not going unnoticed and emphasize why it’s crucial that if you see something, say something. This is what the public is doing more of and today’s event proves the messaging is working. We will continue to enhance initiatives in order to keep our children and the rest of the community safe."