Dallas school administrators gathered community members to discuss concerns about gun violence in schools after a student fatally shot a classmate at Wilmar-Hutchins High School last week.
Dozens of people gathered in West Dallas to hear from Maxie Johnson, trustee of New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, where he is pastor, about mass shootings, possible solutions to gun violence, and the nation's focus on safety measures. We talked about our roles.
“When I heard that a student had been shot, I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who lost her own son to gun violence in 2019, said her parents are hurt every time they receive a report of a shooting. “Our children are supposed to bury us. We shouldn't bury them.”
He said public schools need more funding to address safety concerns.
“Communities like ours will continue to experience violence, and it hasn't stopped. Enough is enough,” said Rep. Benton Jones, D-Dallas. “We need to make sure that state and local resources and attention are allocated to address this issue.”
The rally came a day after Wilmar-Hutchins students walked out of class to protest for school safety.
“I went to school every day fearing for my life until I graduated,” said Toby Collins, who graduated from Wilmer Hutchins last year. “We've had several close calls like this.”
Collins said school bags are inspected on some days, but not every day.
“It's more the teacher who checks bags,” said Margarita Hernandez, a senior at LG Pinkston High School in West Dallas.
Hernandez said her school has security guards in front of the building and in the cafeteria, but no one to watch the doors.
“How can we feel safe at school while something like this is happening?” she said.
Metal detectors at local schools are also not working properly, students and other local residents said.
On Friday, a student shot a classmate in the upper thigh during class at Wilmar-Hutchins.
Jakerian Rose-Ewing, 17, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a weapon in a prohibited place, according to an affidavit obtained by police. dallas morning news on tuesday.
Officials said the victim's injuries were not life-threatening. The first police officer to arrive on the scene placed a tourniquet on the student's leg before transporting him to the hospital.
Dallas ISD Police Chief Albert Martinez said last week that the investigation is ongoing, but the incident appears to have only occurred between two students.
About 40 Wilmar Hutchins students walked out of class Monday, saying the campus was unsafe. Many said schools did not enforce clear bag policies and metal detectors were not used regularly.
As Dallas ISD Trustee, Johnson represents District 5, which includes West Dallas, Oak Lawn, Uptown and most of South Oak Cliff.
“Today is a very, very, very difficult day. I stand here with more than just a heavy heart,” Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said Friday at a news conference outside the school. .
Elizalde called the shooting “unacceptable and unimaginable” and said she refuses to normalize it.
“When families send their children to school like I sent mine to school, they don't have to worry about their child's safety,” Elizalde said. “I take it very seriously. We have work to do.”
The DMN Education Lab deepens our coverage and conversations about pressing education issues that matter to the future of North Texas.
DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative supported by Bobby and Lottie Lyle, Community Foundation of Texas, Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Dee Dee Rhodes, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Meadows Foundation, Murrell Foundation, and Solutions. I am receiving support. Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sidney Smith Hicks, University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control over Education Lab's journalism.
