What you need to know
- Dallas ISD officials have confirmed that one student was injured in a shooting inside a classroom at Wilmer Hutchins High School.
- According to Dallas ISD Police, one student was taken into custody and a handgun was recovered.
- Specific information such as the ages and grades of the students and victims has not been confirmed. A motive has not been disclosed.
A student is in custody after shooting another student in the leg inside a classroom at Wilmer Hutchins High School Friday morning, according to Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde.
The shooting occurred just after 10:30 a.m. at the school, located at 5520 Langdon Ave., and the school was secured within minutes, district police said in a statement. Emergency crews arrived at the school just before 11 a.m. and transported the student to a local hospital.
This is a very, very, very difficult day and I stand here with more than just a heavy heart.
Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, Dallas ISD Superintendent
Elizalde confirmed that a student was shot in a classroom and suffered injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. She said the teacher acted quickly, guiding the armed student away from the classroom and away from the school to prevent further injury.
“He was able to direct students away from campus, firstly to treat injured students, and secondly to prevent the alleged suspect from entering other parts of the school building. That's why I know how much could have been avoided by him being told to stay away from school,'' Elizalde said.
No other injuries were reported.
“Thankfully, our student is receiving professional care and his injuries are not life-threatening,” Elizalde said. “That shouldn't be a normal statement from a superintendent…I'm not saying it normalizes these acts. I refuse…this is never acceptable.”
The identities and ages of the suspect and victim have not been confirmed.
Dallas ISD Police Chief Albert Martinez said he believes the two students involved are at least 17 years old.
Authorities also did not say what led to the shooting, but said they were investigating a motive.
Dallas ISD Police confirmed that a handgun was recovered.
Elizalde confirmed that the school has metal detectors, but said the school has vulnerabilities, including the number of entrances, and how a student could have gotten a gun inside the building as part of the investigation into the shooting. He said he is currently trying to find out whether he brought it in.
“So obviously I have unanswered questions as to how the gun got inside. There are metal detectors, but they were still in use today. There are vulnerabilities. “We know that. There are so many entry points into schools, so that's one area where chiefs work with schools to identify vulnerabilities,” she said.
She said Martinez is also working on an after-action report.
“Our chief will lead the post-mortem and report. Lessons learned will allow us to share best practices with other campuses. Again, to continue to be proactive. We need to use this tragedy to learn something and not wait for something else to happen,” Elizalde said.
That's what Sada Boyce wants to know.
“What's next? Like, what are we going to do about this?” said Boyce, whose family members attend Wilmer Hutchins. You can, but how are you going to get through it or how are you going to make things better? That's the next question.”
She said there will be changes to security at the high school.
“This is absolutely unacceptable and unimaginable, but it is happening across American schools,” Elizalde said. “I know you have a lot of questions, and I have them too. I have the same questions you probably want to ask us, and we are still working on them. Masu.”
A student opens fire on another student inside a Dallas ISD classroom. The student was taken to the hospital in an unconscious condition. NBC 5 was at the scene as worried parents waited to be reunited with their children. NBC 5's Allie Spilliers has reactions from family members and district officials.
Dallas ISD police respond to shooting at high school
Dallas ISD Police said Friday morning they were called to Wilmer Hutchins High School around 10:30 a.m. for a report of a shooting.
Dallas ISD Police said in a statement on Facebook around 11:15 a.m. Friday that all students and team members are safe and parents should refrain from coming to campus.
District police immediately confirmed that the suspect was in custody and there was no active threat on campus.
Dallas ISD announced just before 1 p.m. that students were being reunited with their parents in the gymnasium at Wilmer Hutchins High School. If parents wish to release their children, they must bring proper identification.
“We know this is a difficult time and we ask for your patience. Counselors are always available and available for anyone who may need support. Thank you for your understanding,” the district said. Mentioned in X.
Parents become furious and upset over lack of communication
Patrick Benjamin said his child attends Wilmer Hutchins High School and received an automated message saying everything was under control and parents should not come to campus. He said he ignored the message and came to campus anyway because the situation was not under control.
“I couldn't believe it was under control because she called me and said there was a gun at school. If there's a gun at school, there's no way it's under control,” Benjamin said. .
Other parents who spoke to NBC 5 said they were not informed the school was on lockdown and that it was their children who alerted them to the shooting.
“We're out here worried. We're worried. We want to check on our kids, we want more information, but they won't tell us anything. They just took us out of here…wait, I’m worried and worried about my baby here,'” Sharise Johnson said. “The school is not informing us that the school is on lockdown. This is the main problem at Wilmar. They never do that. When this issue arose last year, the school Our kids contacted us and said, “Hey, I'm scared. There's a shooting going on.'' It's very nerve-wracking for parents to get a phone call from their child saying, “Oh my god, there's a shooting going on,'' but the school hasn't notified them, they haven't said anything, so they don't know what's going on. I don't know if there are any. “It's coming from your child. So we're just nervous and concerned and hoping everyone there is okay.”
Some said their messages arrived later than expected. Jasmine told NBC 5 that her son first contacted her shortly after the incident occurred, and she did not receive an automated call from the school district until 11:17 a.m. He said the school had metal detectors and wondered if they were installed. It would work if someone was able to get into the building with a gun.
“This is a tragedy…guns have no place in our schools,” said the lawmaker.jasmine crockett
U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30) issued the following statement regarding the shooting inside Wilmer Hutchins High School:
“I would like to thank the law enforcement officers and first responders who quickly responded to the disturbing shooting in a classroom at Wilmer Hutchins High School in Dallas. My heart and thoughts go out to the students injured in this shooting. Our thoughts are with that family and everyone else.''Students and staff are traumatized by yet another incident of gun violence at a Texas school, but this incident took its toll on students and staff. While we're glad it didn't escalate, it does highlight how gun violence is normalized in classrooms. “This is a tragedy, and the impact this has on the academic success and mental health of our students is devastating. Guns have no place in our schools, no more.”
The Dallas shooting is reminiscent of the Arlington shooting.
In October 2021, a student at Mansfield Timberview High School in Arlington shot and killed three people in a classroom after an argument.
Testifying during the sentencing phase of the trial, Timothy George Simpkins repeatedly said in court that he carried a gun for protection and that he was afraid of being attacked.
In July 2023, a Tarrant County jury found Simpkins guilty of attempted capital murder and sentenced him to 12 years in prison for the shooting.
