Texas Students, Faculty Subdue Man With Shotgun

A man with a shotgun threatened a rural East Texas high school Friday morning until students, the principal and a teacher wrestled him to the ground, authorities said.

The 18-year-old man, a former student at Scurry-Rosser High School, went into the school office and ordered students into the cafeteria, said Principal Richard Sneed.

The man was pouring gasoline on the floor when faculty members and students decided to subdue him, authorities said.

“He did not say a word, didn’t really look at anybody,” said Courtney Robertson, a junior. “Everybody was crying, it was horrible. We thought we were all going to die.”

Robertson said the principal and a teacher slowly walked up to the man and grabbed the gun, then wrestled him to the floor.

“I shoved the barrel up toward the air,” Sneed said. “A couple of football players and teachers came up and we got the weapon secured. He never said a word.”

No injuries or gunfire were reported, but classes were canceled for the rest of the day.

Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrne said the man, who was in custody, will probably be charged with an array of offenses, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The school, about 30 miles southeast of Dallas, has about 220 students.