In an update after the incident, Houston ISD Police Chief Pete Lopez said that students were practicing for graduation and were released from rehearsal at about 10:20 a.m.
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Minutes later, a campus police officer was called to the front of the school to respond to a disturbance and found that a student had been grazed by a bullet.
Joshua Geegan, a senior at North Forest, suffered an injury to his middle finger that was on the steering wheel of his car. Fortunately, his injury was minor enough that he was not transported to the hospital.
"Why me?" Geegan asked himself after realizing he had been hit. "Why at the school? Multiple kids could have gotten hurt. Or why in general? It's a crazy situation that happened."
Both HISD and Houston police responded to the situation.
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Witnesses said they saw a grey Ford truck and a maroon Chrysler on the southwest corner of the campus in the parking lot involved in a shootout. The vehicles then left the campus and continued firing as they drove down Mesa Drive.
Geegan was in the driveway attempting to pull out of the school's front lot when he got caught in the crossfire.
"I've been thanking God that he kept me alive here today, because the incident/tragedy could have been much worse," Geegan said hours after he was hit.
Lopez said that police tracked down the grey Ford truck with bullet holes in the side panel in the 8100 block of Sterlingshire in a residential area.
Authorities found an 18-year-old inside, who was detained for questioning. Family identified him as a North Forest senior.
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Authorities are still looking for the maroon Chrysler.
North Forest High School's last day of school is on Friday and their graduation is set for Saturday, June 12 at 2 p.m. at Delmar Field.
Meanwhile, HISD issued the following statement Wednesday night.
"The HISD Police Department is investigating a shooting that took place this morning in the parking lot of North Forest High School. One individual was treated at the scene and released by paramedics. In addition, HISD Police will have an increased presence at North Forest HS and are working diligently to ensure that all involved are held accountable. HISD remains committed to vigilantly protecting students and staff at our schools. If you have any information about this incident, please contact the HISD Police Department immediately at 713-892-7777, or call 911."
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