Fake report of student with weapon at Brownsville high school leads to 1 arrest

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Authorities swarm a street in front of Rivera Early College High School in Brownsville, Texas, on April 21, 2026. (KRGV-TV / FOX Local)

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A fake report of a student with a weapon on campus led to a high school in Brownsville, Texas, being locked down and an arrest.

What we know:

According to a Facebook post by the Brownsville Independent School District, Rivera Early College High School was locked down just before 9 a.m. and law enforcement responded to the scene.

Officials said the emergency measure was activated after someone reported that a student had brought a weapon onto campus. 

Students and staff were evacuated while officials searched the school.

What they're saying:

"At approximately 11:45 a.m., while the search was underway, the initial reporting party admitted that the allegation of a student possessing a weapon was false," Brownsville ISD officials said in a written statement Tuesday afternoon. "No weapon was found. The suspect, a 17-year-old male, was charged under Texas Penal Code §42.06, False Alarm or Report, a state jail felony."

What we don't know:

Officials have not released the identity of the teen who was charged.

The image in this story is courtesy KRGV-TV.