Corpus Christi ISD Police Chief Kirby Warnke said there were no active-duty shooters and asked parents not to come to campus while the scene was being cleared.
Corpus Christi, Texas — There was a large police presence at Ray High School Friday afternoon after reports of an active gunman on campus. Corpus Christi ISD Police Chief Kirby Warnke said there were no active-duty shooters and asked parents not to come to campus while the scene was being cleared.
Corpus Christi police previously tweeted that any parent en route can go to the Del Mar Economic Center at 3209 S. Staples.
“All students are safe and there is no threat at this time.”
We have staff on site and will keep you informed.
“My thinking is that it would be better if we had some kind of information,” said Mary Villarreal, a parent of Ray High School. “I’m not saying the high school wasn’t prepared, but I think it’s easier to get through this as long as everyone is told what to do instead of panicking.”
A 911 call received by the CCPD reported an AK-47 on campus. Again, the call was fake and no guns were found on campus.
3NEWS spoke to Peter Zanoni, the city manager in the area at the time, who was in the area delivering something for his son, a high school freshman.
“After seeing what I just saw, the city needs to be proud of our police and firefighters,” Zanoni said. “The dedication and agility they entered the school without hesitation with a very coordinated plan. All of us parents deserve to feel safer today.”
Authorities continue to let the public know that they take all threats to schools very seriously. Earlier this week, 3NEWS reported that a Hamline Middle School student who went to school with a gun appeared in court on Wednesday.
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“When you bring weapons to school, you don’t just put yourself at risk okay? What you do, you put yourself at risk, you put your teacher at risk, you put your classmates at risk ,” Judge Timothy McCoy told the teen on Wednesday.
McCoy added that if it meant correcting the problem at hand, he was willing to give the offender a harsher punishment.
“I’m going to do everything I can to stop this. If it means criminals are going to be detained for a long time until we figure out how to keep them safe, keep the public safe, and make sure they’re not harming themselves or others, so be it,” McCoy said. “If I had to punish criminals in harsh estates, I would.”