Earlier today, a charter school in the San Antonio area was put on lockdown after a man, reportedly wielding a knife, ran towards the institution, triggering security protocols. The Schertz School of Science and Technology, which serves students from pre-K to the eighth grade, was secured for about ten minutes, as stated in a press release from the Schertz Police Department. The lockdown was a preventative response to the incident which began at approximately 7:54 a.m. near the 21600 block of the I-35 NB Access Road, as reported by Express News.
The situation unfolded when Schertz police were initially called to a "violent disturbance." Upon arrival, officers encountered a man armed with a knife who immediately opted to run away, heading in the direction of the nearby school. During the chase, he dropped the knife, which was later retrieved by the police. The quick action from law enforcement led to the man’s detention at the intersection of the I-35 frontage road and Fairlawn Avenue, close to where the school is located. This response was cited as "a clear example of the importance of having established protocols and relationships in place to address such incidents," by Schertz Police Chief Jim Lowery in statements obtained by both MySA and Express News.
The individual who caused the lockdown was identified as 46-year-old Raul Aragon. He is currently listed as a homeless person and is a registered sex offender, recently released from the Texas Department of Corrections. Aragon has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, and failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements, which is a third-degree felony. He was booked into the Comal County Jail, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The Schertz School of Science and Technology reported that no students were harmed throughout the tense situation and the school did not experience an actual intrusion. Further, Schertz Police Chief Jim Lowery expressed gratitude for the effective coordination during the incident, assuring that the suspect "never entered the school property, and the disruption to this morning's school schedule was minimal," according to a release referenced by MySA. The community was also reassured by the police department that there is believed to be no further threat following the arrest.
