Business owners want stronger police presence after shooting across street from West Side school

Owners say they raised alarms before shooting

SAN ANTONIO – A business owner whose camera captured the shooting between two large crowds in a parking lot across the street from John Jay High School on Thursday says violence and drugs have been an ongoing problem for some time in that area.

The business owner, who did not want to be identified, says they’ve seen students using drugs and hanging out in the parking lot during school hours, but officials have made little effort to get involved.

Since September, San Antonio police have been called out to that location more than 20 times for fights and drugs. Many of those calls were during school hours.

The fight on Thursday that injured a bystander and another person started about 10 minutes before the shooting broke out. It involved two women and one man, witnesses say.

Witnesses claim some of those involved were students, and police had already been called about the fight when the shooting happened.

A Northside ISD spokesperson says they have no confirmation that those involved in the shooting were students.

The police report says a 33-year-old man was hit by a fleeing vehicle while in the parking lot. No shooting victims were found at the location, but detectives were called to a nearby hospital where a possible juvenile showed up with a gunshot wound to the torso.

There was a high police presence at the high school campus Friday, and students say everyone was on edge and heard talks of another shooting.

Police are still looking for the dark-colored sedan that struck the pedestrian.

The video also shows those involved in the shooting were in a gray SUV that fled the scene.

Another business owner who witnessed the shooting and had damage to his business says he’d like to see more police keep an eye on students outside the campus during school hours.

KSAT contacted District 4 staff for a comment, but we have not heard back.


About the Authors:

Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017. She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community.