HOUSTON, TX — A 17-year-old Westbury High School senior was fatally shot near the campus this morning, according to school and Houston police officials. The shooting happened off school property near the dead end of Dryad Street.

A report of shots fired came in around 8:21 a.m. A campus officer also reported the gunfire over the school radio and went to the scene. A school staff member who teaches firefighting began lifesaving measures around 8:24 a.m. The student was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Investigators were told a group of young people had gathered near the end of the street before school, as students had done on other mornings without reported problems. A person came from a nearby wooded area, words were exchanged, and someone produced a handgun, police said. Investigators have not determined what led to the shooting or how many times the student was shot.

No suspect was in custody at the time of the briefing. Police were interviewing witnesses, reviewing video recovered from a nearby apartment complex and canvassing the neighborhood for more footage. Officials said they did not yet know whether the person they were seeking was a student.

The school was placed in secure mode, with entry and exit restricted and a controlled release available for parents picking up their children. Officials said there was no active threat inside the building. The district said it would provide counselors and additional security staff. State officials also sent 25 troopers to provide an added security presence near the school.