Shortly before the Texas Senate recessed for the day, Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, told his colleagues he was saddened to announce that yet another public school shooting had occurred in the state.

In Dallas, four students were injured in a shooting early Tuesday afternoon at Wilmer-Hutchins High School, the same campus where gunfire erupted just around a year ago. More than 20 police units responded to the scene Tuesday, according to a police call log.

For West, the event also hit close to home.

“Wilmer-Hutchins High School [is] the high school I graduated from,” West said. “There were three to four students who were actually shot and range from serious condition to just being grazed by a bullet, so this is happening more frequently in our state.”

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Related:4 students wounded in shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas

He asked senators to keep the students in their prayers.

“I wanted to make sure I reported that to you,” he said, “and I’ll keep you up on exactly what the condition is.”

Other Texas politicians also expressed concern and support for the school community Tuesday afternoon.

Stephanie Elizalde, superintendent for the Dallas Independent School District, said at a news conference around 5 p.m. that Gov. Greg Abbott had called her to ask for a status update and offered resources in support. Shortly after, the governor also released his own statement about the shooting, calling it a “senseless act of violence.”

“Cecilia and I ask our fellow Texans to join us in praying for the victims’ swift recovery and for the entire Wilmer-Hutchins High School community,” he said.

Related:Timeline: Incidents of shootings, gun violence at or near D-FW schools

In the statement, Abbott also referenced billions in additional dollars that had flowed to schools following the 2022 deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.

Texas school leaders have said the money hasn’t been enough to cover rising security costs. Lawmakers are now debating more school funding and safety measures at the Capitol.

Beyond the state, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, said in a statement on social media that she is “heartbroken” to learn about this shooting. Her district includes the high school, and she said her office is in “close contact” with Dallas ISD.

“My prayers are with the students, teachers, and families who are once again forced to live through this nightmare,” she said.

“Guns do not belong in our schools. Every student deserves to learn in a safe environment.”

Related:Wilmer-Hutchins High School classes canceled for the rest of the week following shooting

It’s still not exactly clear how the suspect managed to get a gun inside the school, which has metal detectors and a clear backpack policy. Christina Smith, Dallas ISD’s assistant chief of police, said during the press conference that the gun didn’t enter the building “during regular intake time.”

“It was not a failure of our staff, of our protocols, or of the machinery that we have,” Smith said. When asked for more details, officials declined to comment further.

In the meantime, officers have internally identified a suspected shooter. Though he has not been arrested as of the press conference, according to Smith.

Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins was also present at the scene for much of Tuesday afternoon, though he declined to comment on the incident. He flanked Elizalde and Smith as they delivered the press conference.