EPPD: Body found in desert that of missing Pebble Hills High student reportedly armed

The body found in the Far East El Paso desert is that of a missing Pebble Hills High School student who caused a “reverse evacuation” at three schools when his parents called to report he was possibly armed with a weapon.

The student died from an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound, police confirmed.

The student’s body was found near the site of a residential development under construction in the Pebble Hills High School area. Police could not confirm how close the body was to the campus.

Police would not confirm the boy’s identity. ABC-7 reached out to the Socorro Independent School District to confirm the student’s name. A district spokesman said he did not have that information.

Last Thursday, authorities spent hours looking for the student after the parents called the school to notify administrators their child possibly left their home with a weapon.

Administrators placed the high school, Puentes Middle School and Butler Elementary on “reverse evacuation,” which the spokesman said is not a severe as a lock down. Under a reverse evacuation, the school’s doors are locked, but students are still allowed to move from class to class inside the school.

Pebble Hills High School is located at 14400 Pebble Hills. The middle school is located at 3116 Tim Foster and the elementary school is located at 14251 Ralph Seitsinger.