SPRING, Texas – Spring ISD authorities Friday morning announced that all students and staff will have to pass through a metal detectors when they return to the Spring High School campus next week after a deadly stabbing on campus on Wednesday.
Spring High is closed until Monday due to the stabbing. Investigators say 17-year-old Luis Alfaro stabbed Joshua Broussard, 17, to death and injured three other people. Alfaro is charged with murder. Deputies say the motive for the attack was gang rivalry.
"We're going to add additional officers to the campus at Spring High School," said Spring ISD Police Chief Victor Mitchell.
Superintendent Dr. Ralph Draper added that a gang awareness officer and crisis counselors will be on campus when school re-opens.
Spring High's Principal Donna Ullrich sent a letter to parents saying that Spring ISD police established a gang suppression unit during the summer in order to prevent gang activity.
Board met Thursday night
Spring ISD's board president interrupted Thursday night's meeting to briefly address the deadly gang fight at Spring High School.
"I just couldn't keep going on business as usual," said Justine Durant. "I needed to stop and say something."
Yet nothing she nor anyone else said would offer worried parents, like Kathy Armstrong, the reassurance they came to the meeting looking for.
"I just want to know that when he gets on campus from his bus that I know he's going to be safe," said Armstrong. "I don't want another text early in the morning that there's been another stabbing."
Spring ISD's police chief said the district is working on a security plan for when classes at Spring High resume Monday, but would not offer specifics.
Armstrong and her son Matthew, a student at Spring High School, came to the Spring ISD headquarters looking for support from district administrators in the wake of the deadly stabbing that left 17-year-old Joshua Broussard dead and three others wounded.
Matthew claims gang problems at the school have been allowed to escalate.
"You could get killed and it would take a while for you to even know about it," said Matthew Armstrong.
The school board president spoke publicly after board members chose to discuss the deadly stabbing in a closed session not open to the public.
Armstrong was terribly disappointed.
"They say they have a plan but I have a hard time believing they have anything," said Armstrong.