HOUSTON, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- A high school student was gunned down on Tuesday when he was walking with another student near a school in Houston, the southern U.S. state of Texas, police said.

In a press briefing, Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner said that the 18-year-old student was pronounced dead in hospital while the 15-year-old female student suffered a graze wound.

The shooting happened in a church parking lot near the Lamar High School and St. John's School, about 7 km west downtown Houston. According to alerts sent to parents, both schools were put on lockdown due to the shooting and after-school activities were canceled.

According to Finner, while walking near the Lamar High School, three suspects approached the victims and one suspect fired multiple shots. However, it's not clear if it was a targeted shooting.

The suspects escaped the scene in a black car. The Houston Police Department was searching the area for suspects.