A 15-year-old student shot a teacher at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Bulverde, Texas, Monday morning before fatally shooting himself, authorities said. Comal County Sheriff Mark Reynolds said investigators were still working to understand what led to the early-morning attack and the circumstances surrounding how the firearm was obtained.

Reynolds said he did not know the teacher’s condition hours after the shooting. He also said the student shot the teacher before turning the gun on himself, as detectives interviewed witnesses and assessed what information they could collect from those who were at the school during the incident.

The school placed the campus on lockdown shortly after 8:30 a.m., according to the school. One student told San Antonio television station KSAT that they heard loud bangs from a room on the second floor and then heard screaming, while another student said they heard five shots and yelling before their debate teacher told students to get inside a classroom.

Reynolds said students were bused to a nearby middle school as parents arrived and stood in long lines, some praying, while waiting to be reunited with their children. He said the family members of the shooter also went into a reunification line.

Reynolds said investigators were working to “collect as much information as we can from witnesses,” and the sheriff described the incident as something that no community wants to face. “What happened today is something no community ever wants to face, but we prepare for something that we hope never occurs,” Reynolds said.

In an interview with KSAT, parent Jesse Lopez said it would be difficult to explain to his daughter that she would eventually have to return to class. “For one, she has autism, and she’ll be afraid to go back, she’ll be real afraid to go back,” Lopez said.

Principal Julie Wiley said in a statement that the school canceled classes for Tuesday but counselors would still be available for students and families. Wiley also said, “Our hearts are with everyone impacted, especially that teacher, their family, and our school community,” adding that “We know this has been a difficult day.”

The school, part of the Comal Independent School District, opened in August 2020 and now serves grades nine through 12, with a freshman class first arriving when it launched. The district describes the school as focusing on STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts and math—with electives that include cybersecurity and engineering.