A school shooting rocked a small Texas town on March 30, 2026. A 15-year-old student at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Bulverde shot a female teacher and then himself. The teacher survived, but authorities declared the unidentified teen dead at the school. The Comal County Sheriff’s Office acted quickly to secure the scene and assured no further threat was present in the area. Although that’s reassuring, students, teachers, staff, and families likely will never forget the fateful day that changed everything in their school community.
The shooting occurred at the beginning of the day.
According to a letter from Hill Country College Preparatory High School Principal Julie Wiley, the shooting took place at 8:34 a.m. Deputies from the Comal County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene, and the school went into lockdown, per a news release posted on social media by the sheriff’s office. Emergency responders took the teacher, identified online by family as Stephanie Rubacalva, to a San Antonio hospital. Her condition is unknown. The shooter died at the scene.
“We know this is incredibly difficult to hear. What we can tell you is this situation is contained, and there is no ongoing threat to students,” the sheriff’s office’s release shared. “The school was placed on lockdown, and students were safely transported to Bulverde Middle School to be reunited with their parents.”
Terrified students and parents did their best to stay calm.
A student named Jesse stopped to speak with KSAT after reuniting with his mom in the parking lot. He recalled hearing what sounded like a table slamming to the ground and someone screaming. Jesse said he ran out the door with his classmates to a grassy patch and waited for instructions from the teachers. He said he felt “scared,” his voice cracking because he was clearly terrified.
Sarah Valdez, a mother of a freshman at the high school, said she had to check on her son just to be sure he was OK.
“We got an alert from Comal ISD that the school is on lockdown, and I called my son, even though I knew they’re not supposed to be using phones,” Valdez said.
Many praised the sheriff’s office for its quick response.
“What fantastic public relations and communication by the Comal County Sheriffs Department! Thank you for the running timeline,” someone commented on Facebook.
“As a current resident of Comal County, Parent and Teacher, I hope is all well. My prayers go out to all that anyone involved!” a teacher agreed.
Others chimed in about teachers’ pay. “They absolutely dont pay these teachers enough to be dealing with this kinda of stuff. Big prayers for a fast and full recovery for the victim,” one comment reads.
The shooter’s parents reportedly had no idea their son was involved.
Comal County Sheriff Mark Reynolds said during a news conference that the shooter’s parents were in the reunification line when law enforcement approached. They reportedly had no idea their son was the shooter. We cannot even imagine how that must have felt to learn something so devastating and now your child is gone, too.
The sheriff’s office said this remains an active investigation. The high school remained closed on March 31.
This school community will eventually get back to a new normal, but they’ll never forget this tragic day. Hopefully, the teacher will recover and go on to live a full and happy life.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
