Dove Hunters on Neighboring Property the Cause of Herff Elementary Lockdown in Boerne

UPDATE: Herff Elementary scene cleared; "shots fired" traced to dove hunters on neighboring property, no threat to public

BOERNE, Texas — A law enforcement response at Herff Elementary School that sent after-school students sheltering in the front office Friday afternoon has ended with no danger to the public, after neighboring property owners confirmed they were dove hunting at the time the shots were heard, the Kendall County Office of Emergency Management & Fire Marshal said.

"There is no danger or threat to the public," the county said in an update posted to its official Facebook page, thanking "all the agencies that arrived and assisted with ensuring our schools, students, staff and the community were safe."

The response began late Friday afternoon after reports of gunfire near the campus. Boerne ISD sent a bulletin to Herff families at 4:26 p.m. stating that officers were on campus "assisting with an incident in the area," and that remaining staff and after-school students had been brought indoors and were sheltering in the school's front office.

At 4:54 p.m., the county's emergency management office confirmed an active law enforcement scene at the school, citing the Kendall County Sheriff's Office, and asked the public to avoid the area. No further details were released at the time.

The subsequent update attributed the shots to hunters on nearby property. No injuries were reported.

This story has been updated to reflect the all-clear from Kendall County officials.