Sharpstown International and Neff elementary schools are closed

According to social media posts around 1:30 p.m., Sharpstown International School and Neff Elementary School were locked down Friday afternoon.

The lockdown events come amid an increased presence at county schools due to unconfirmed threats against Texas campuses. HISD said Thursday: However, no threats against HISD campuses have been confirmed. And parents at several schools said they received a notification about a social media post on Tuesday, but the notification did not specify which schools had been threatened.

It is unclear why schools have been placed on lockdown and it is not known where restrictions have been lifted at this time. There is a heavy police presence on campus and parents have already arrived but are awaiting further information.

A screenshot of a message posted on Facebook by Mahalet Negussie, the principal of Neff Elementary School, says the campus has been temporarily placed “on lockdown status as a precautionary measure while police investigate suspicious activity in the area. There is no direct threat to your students.” The message states that classes are continuing as usual, that the building is secure, and that students are safe.

Sharpstown International students were dismissed by grade level starting at 2:50 p.m.

According to Marta Perez, mother of twins at Sharpstown International, one student was apparently arrested.

Sharpstown International, 8330 Triola Lane, is a magnet school in HISD for grades 6 through 12 that had about 1,200 students enrolled last school year. Neff Elementary School, 8301 Neff St., has about 780 students in second through fifth grade, according to its website.

A HISD spokesperson said the district is working to gather more information for the public.