A student injured another student in a shooting at Wilmar Hutchins High School in southeast Oak Cliff on Friday, authorities said.
The shooting occurred in a classroom, and the injured student was shot in the upper thigh, but his injuries were not life-threatening, officials said. The student suspect in the shooting is in custody, officials said.
Christopher Williams and Charise Johnson speak out about an incident at their son's school.
“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 afternoon as speakers blared in the background. , said this at a press conference outside the school. Call students' names to reunite with their families.
Elizalde said people in the classroom, primarily teachers, helped “avoid further tragedy.” She said the teacher was a “very humble person” who directed the shooter away from the facility, tended to injured students and prevented the shooter from entering other parts of the school.
The suspect was arrested near the stadium on campus. Dallas ISD Police Chief Albert Martinez said police have not yet determined a motive for the shooting, but the incident appears to have only occurred between two students, who may be over the age of 17. Ta.
It's unclear how the weapon, which Martinez described as “basically a handgun,” got into the school, but it has been recovered, officials said.
Elizalde said campus facilities were secured within minutes, adding that Dallas ISD police, Dallas and Hutchins police, and Dallas Fire and Rescue responded. Willmar Mayor Sheila Petta, State Rep. Carl Sherman and Dallas ISD Trustee Maxie Johnson all arrived to provide support and support as the school moves through the integration process, she said. Told.
Dallas Fire Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said crews arrived at the school in the 5500 block of Langdon Road just after 10:35 a.m.Dallas police call records show nine units also responded to the school around 10:45 a.m.
By 11:15 a.m., Dallas ISD officials posted to X that the student and team member were safe.
The school district announced that parents and students were allowed to reunite in the main gym on campus around 12:50 p.m. District officials also said counselors will be on-site and available for anyone who needs assistance.
Charise Johnson, the mother of Legend Williams, 16, a 10th grader at the school, said she and her son's father were relieved.
“This is a phone call that no parent wants to receive. [that] There's something going on at your child's school, there's a shooting going on, and maybe your child is involved,” Johnson said. “You don't want to be a part of that. It's such a relief to know he's okay. It's just overwhelming. And we're just really lucky that everything worked out.”
Legend's father, Christopher Williams, said he is glad his son left the school and has not received any calls, texts or emails from the school about what happened.
He said he learned from his son that “there was a school shooting.” Legend has it that he waited in the women's locker room for the shooting to end.
“No parent wants to see their child get shot, no parent wants to hear about their child getting shot, much less put themselves in that predicament.” Williams said. “Right now, at this moment, I'm glad he's gone. But he won't be back here.”
School safety is questioned
Johnson, Legend's mother, said the school has security, metal detectors and canes, but she believes many students simply walk around the metal detectors in the morning.
10th grade student Angelica Partida, 16, also spoke about school safety, saying she doesn't believe the transparent backpacks students bring to school will be opened or searched.
Police Chief Martinez said authorities will investigate allegations that students were not using metal detectors at school or having their bags searched. He said there are alternative ways to ensure school safety.
He said the campus has its own security team, checks to see if doors are locked and is audited by multiple agencies.
“We're going to use the resources of the state,” Martinez said of the shooting. “The FBI has already been called in… to investigate this and to really analyze whatever resources they have to… figure out how this happened.”
Willmar-Hutchins High School serves students in grades 9-12 and is named after the communities of Willmar and Hutchins. The two towns formed their own independent school district, which Dallas ISD took over in 2005, according to the Dallas ISD website.
About 1,000 students attended in the 2022 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Superintendent Elizalde said the school has vulnerabilities because it has so many entrances, and the principal will work with the school to identify vulnerabilities.
She said the chancellor will lead a “post-mortem review and report” to understand lessons learned and share those practices with other campuses to “remain proactive.”
District spokeswoman Robin Harris offered reassurance when she spoke to the family. dallas morning news She was heading to campus shortly after the shooting.
“We don't want parents to feel any kind of fear or alarm because we understand that that can be scary or alarming,” Harris said. “But right now, we want them to know… everyone is safe. There is no threat at this time. And we will share more information as we understand a little more.”
Harris said that when she spoke with the school's principal, she felt relieved because he seemed to speak in a calm manner.
“It also gives us even more confidence that the students and staff there and the team that was there are in great hands,” Harris said. “Even though something did happen, I have some confidence that it was done in a sensitive manner.”
“It's unacceptable and I can't even imagine it.”
Elizalde called the shooting “unacceptable and unimaginable” and said at a news conference that she refuses to normalize it. She said this is an issue occurring in schools across the country.
“We can and must eradicate this type of situation,” Elizalde said. “We all have to recognize the fact that the solution is a collective responsibility. It's not something schools can do individually. It's not something neighborhoods can do individually.”
U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, whose district includes the school, said in a written statement that the shooting was a “tragedy” and the impact on students' academic success and mental health would be “devastating.”
“My heart and thoughts are with the students and their families injured in this shooting, and with all the students and staff who have been traumatized by gun violence in Texas schools,” Crockett said. wrote. “While we are fortunate that this incident did not escalate to the point where it claimed the lives of students and staff, it highlights how normalized gun violence is in the classroom.”
Elizalde said the community needs to work together to address this issue.
“When families send their children to school, they don't have to worry about their child's safety like I sent mine to school,” Elizalde said. “I take it very seriously. We have work to do.”
Staff writers Zaeem Shaikh and Jamie Landers and staff photographer Juan Figueroa contributed to this report.
