Wednesday afternoon at Bowie High School in Arlington, there was a shooting that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old student and the arrest of another student.
At a press conference on Wednesday night, Arlington Police Chief Al Jones and Arlington ISD Superintendent Dr. Matt Smith gave an update on the incident, which turned out to be a homicide.
Officers were called to the high school shortly before 3 p.m., according to the authorities, following reports of gunfire close to a temporary building on campus. When school resource officers got there, they said that they discovered the male student, 18, laying on the ground.
The student was lifeless, according to first responders, and had been shot up to six times.
Following the shooting, a lockdown was imposed on the campus. A person on the ground outside the school was receiving CPR from police, according to video that NBC 5 was able to obtain.
After being transferred to a nearby hospital, the victim—whose name has not been made public—was eventually declared dead.
According to Arlington Police, after helping to secure the area around the university, officers began looking for the suspected gunman, who was eventually located nearby.
About 5:30 p.m., the accused shooter—a male student, 17 years old—was apprehended without causing any trouble. Once he is checked into Arlington City Jail, he will face murder charges, according to the police.
Detectives investigating homicides think that the victim and the alleged shooter were acquainted, and they are currently investigating the reason for the tragic event. In addition, investigators are trying to find out what sort of pistol was used in the incident, where the alleged gunman got it, and whether the gun was ever brought inside a school.
Chief of Police Al Jones remarked, “Our hearts are with the entire Bowie High School community tonight.” The message was released.
This kind of brutality is intolerable to us as a community. Not in our schools, not in our neighborhoods. There is never a place for violence. Our colleagues at Arlington ISD and we will keep working together to make sure that our schools are secure environments where students can learn.
It was confirmed earlier in the afternoon by Arlington Police that they were at the school looking into an incident that happened outside. Numerous police officers were observed from Texas Sky Ranger looking into a location next to a mobile home on Highbank Drive, which runs along the south edge of the campus.
Shortly after 3 p.m., the Arlington ISD announced that all children were secure within the building, the school was under lockdown, and the dismissal time would not be met. An hour or so later, the district announced that parents would need to present identification when they reunited students and families at the AISD Athletics and Aquatics Center, located at 1001 E Division Street.
Erica Sims is a parent of two Bowie High School students: a sophomore daughter and a senior son. According to Sims, her daughter was still inside the building when the shooting happened, and her son had left campus before noon. She claimed that after leaving the school, she drove around the neighborhood and was then led to the reunification center, where she had a conversation with Candace Sweat of NBC 5.
“My daughter called to inform me that there had been a shooting at the school. I naturally became alarmed. Sims remarked, “I’ve been looking for my child and I still can’t find her. “My daughter is familiar with the kid that was shot. My daughter is acquainted with the young shooter. My daughter has a friend who was also involved. It’s quite a bit. I don’t feel secure. I’m not sure how we should move forward at this time. I just want my child, and I’ve never been involved in anything like this.”
Standing outside the district’s swimming center, several worried parents stated that the only thing they could do was wait for their kids to be picked up by school buses.
“When I receive a text like that, I’m unable to enter the school.” Being a veterinarian, I want to go there and make sure everyone is taken care of, but we are limited in what we can do,” dad Terry Brown remarked. It’s a dreadful situation. I’m sorry for the family of that young person. I’m not even sure if the victim was a girl or a boy. Though I’m not sure if they made it, I hope they did. It would be disastrous if they hadn’t.
Desiree Mondy broke down in tears as she told NBC 5’s Keenan Willard that her junior son had texted her to report that they had heard several gunshots and shouting coming from outside the building.
Mondy declared, “Our children are not safe.” “He feels terrified, despite the fact that this is a normal situation. However, he is aware of what to do because this is a standard procedure, which is problematic. ‘Oh mom, we’re on lockdown,’ he texted, knowing full well that this is their regular routine. I could see he was scared until a friend texted him to confirm that shots had been fired and that screams had been heard.”
