SPRING, Texas – One person is dead and three others injured after a stabbing Wednesday morning at Spring High School.
The dad and aunt of 17-year-old Joshua Broussard confirmed to Houston's KPRC that the sophomore was killed in the stabbing.
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"I went in, but I didn't want to go all the way to see him laying on the ground. That would have been too drastic," said Jason Broussard, Joshua's father.
The Harris Co. Sheriff's Office said they are questioning a 17-year-old male who is now considered the sole suspect in the case.
It happened around 7:10 a.m. at Spring High off I-45. Authorities said the school's nurse called police saying multiple people had been stabbed.
The sheriff's office confirmed that three people were injured and one person was killed during the incident that started with a physical confrontation involving a "cutting instrument."
Sources said the trouble may have started on Tuesday, when Broussard elbowed another student's girlfriend.
One of the three students, a 16-year-old boy, was transported via LifeFlight to Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute. He's listed in good condition.
Two other patients were transported via ambulance to Houston Northwest Medical Center with minor injuries. Of those two victims, one was transported to Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute Wednesday afternoon in good condition.
Deputies earlier took four persons of interest into custody to question them. Two of them -- a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old -- are now considered witnesses to a crime, according to investigators.
All of the victims and three of the persons of interests are students in Spring ISD, according to the Sheriff Garcia.
Detectives also took an adult relative of one of the suspects into custody after he refused to cooperate with investigators when they went to his house.
Joshua Broussard's grandfather, Robert Johnson, said all he wants is justice.
"I think they need to be caught and prosecuted," said Johnson.
Authorities have not recovered the weapons used during the incident.
Anyone with information about those involved with the stabbing, what weapons were used or where the weapons are should call the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-967-5810 or the Crime Stopper tip line at 713-222-TIPS.
Sheriff Garcia said investigators were looking into suggestions that the stabbings were related to gang activity. However, deputies had not been called to the school about gang violence before Wednesday.
Broussard's family said the teen had nothing to do with gang relations.
"He wasn't a bad kid, he wasn't with no gangs or none of that. He was straight books and school," said Jason Broussard.
Jason Broussard also said his son was a true cowboy.
"He was in the rodeo, teen roping. (He) liked horses, cattle, anything to do with farming," said Jason Broussard.
Jason Broussard believes his son was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
According to investigators, there was an apparent fight on Tuesday that led to Wednesday morning's tragedy. Just before the bell rang, someone allegedly bumped one of the victims as he walked through the cafeteria. A fistfight erupted and quickly turned deadly.
Investigators believe only one of the four suspects was armed with a knife and in just a few seconds he managed to stab all four victims.
The school was placed under lock down shortly after the stabbing was reported.
"We want to ensure parents that we're going to do all we can to deter unwanted activity and make sure that this doesn't happen again," Spring ISD Chief of Police Victor Mitchell said.
Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Ralph Draper said during the news conference that the school first took care of security measures, then protected the integrity of the investigation before communicating with parents over what happened at the school.
Dr. Draper asked everyone to keep the families of the victims and the families of all the students at Spring ISD in their thoughts and prayers.
Students were expected to be released at 10 a.m. but that was delayed. Just after 1 p.m., students were released.
According to Spring ISD officials, Spring High School will be closed on Thursday and Friday. Students will report back to school on Monday. Friday night's football game has also been canceled.
Spring High School sent out the following email to parents at 10:03 a.m."
"This is an important message from Spring High School. Based on a preliminary report, a fight occurred this morning in the cafeteria. There has been one fatality and three students have been transported to hospitals with injuries. All other students are safe in their classrooms and will remain there while the investigation continues. Students will be released as soon as we have been given permission from the investigating authorities. We will call you again as soon as we have more details."
Parents and other families lined up along Cypresswood Road waiting to be reunited with their kids. Just prior to the students being released, a group of parents gathered together, held hands and formed a prayer group.
Exit 68 on I-45 northbound, the feeder roads and Cypresswood Road have reopened.
One parent spoke with his son on the phone inside the school. The student told him he was safe and watching the news coverage on TV.
Another parent said, "I have two daughters here....My daughter had text me to let me know that the stabbing is going on. But I have yet to hear or get texts from anybody at Spring letting me know that this event took place."
The grandmother of a 12th grader and an 11th grader at the school was told by the students that the principal put them back inside the classroom.
"He said that a big fight broke out. And that's all he knows. A big fight broke out and several people got stabbed and cut," she told us.
"When we do re-open the school, we will have a high level of security on campus," said Dr. Draper.
Authorities are still trying to determine exactly what started the fight.
The 17-year-old lone suspect has not yet been charged.
A vigil is planned for Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Spring Baptist Church, located at 1027 Spring Cypress Road.
Crisis counselors will be available to assist students and additional security will be on campus as needed.
Officials are setting up a phone line for parents to call with questions for the school. It will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
The information phone number is (281)-891-6575.
This story comes from our sister station KPRC-TV in Houston.