What to Know
- A juvenile boy was killed and a juvenile girl was injured in a shooting on campus before classes began Monday morning.
- A classmate of the victim was taken into custody by police and is now facing capital murder charges; additional charges are pending, police say.
- The motive for the shooting is not yet confirmed; police said a weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered.
A student is in custody and facing a capital murder charge after police say he fatally shot a classmate and injured another outside Lamar High School in Arlington Monday morning.
Classes and extracurricular activities have been canceled for Lamar students through Tuesday, the Arlington Independent School District said. Counselors will be at the school Wednesday and will be available to students and staff as long as they're needed.
The AISD and police said the on-campus shooting occurred outside of the school on the 1400 block of W. Lamar Boulevard at about 6:55 a.m., about 40 minutes before classes began and about five minutes before two school resources officers with the Arlington Police Department arrived for the day.
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Jesse Minton, with the Arlington Police, said one of the students injured was a juvenile male who was critically wounded and was taken to an area hospital by ground ambulance. Arlington Chief of Police Al Jones and AISD Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos announced during a news conference Monday afternoon that the injured student died of his injuries. The student's name has not been released.
"It is with great sadness that I announce that the student has died from his injuries," Jones said. "I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the victims and to all of the students and staff at Lamar High School. Our hearts are with them."
The other injured student, Minton said, was a juvenile female who suffered injuries to her cheek after being grazed by a bullet or hit by flying debris.
No other reports of injuries have been received.
Jones said there is at least one video recording of the shooting and that the slain teen and injured girl were sitting outside, near the steps, waiting for the school to open when they were apparently targeted. A motive for the shooting has not been confirmed by police but is part of the ongoing investigation.
Schools deserve to be a safe place for students to learn and to grow, every day. Today, we're heartbroken.
Dr. Marcelo Cavazos, Arlington ISD Superintendent
According to police, a Lamar student was taken into custody in connection with the shooting, and a weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered. That student, who is a juvenile and has not been named, is facing a capital murder charge and is being held at the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center. Additional charges are pending, police said.
Jones said the student ran from the school after the shooting and never entered the building. He said witnesses who called 911 provided police with a description of the gunman and that he was surrounded by police a short time later and taken into custody without incident.
"Their response was swift. The scene was secure in minutes," Jones said. "I'm extremely proud of the job that everyone did today."
Jones did not reveal any information Monday about the weapon or say where it came from, citing the ongoing investigation, but did say police and school officials need help from the community when it comes to gun safety and keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of children.
"We need our community's help to ensure that guns do not end up on school campuses. We need gun owners to step up, to be responsible and ensure that they are properly securing their firearms so kids don't have access to them. That means using gun safes, gun locks and not leaving the guns unsecured in cars or other places where kids can get them," Jones said.
Lamar Principal Andrew Hagman said he was "very, very proud" of the students for how quickly they reacted and that he was grateful that they followed instructions from staff to get inside the building and that more people weren't hurt.
"Unfathomable remorse. To think that a young life was lost in such a senseless fashion. It's incredible and it's incredible when it happens right at your doorstep," Hagman said. "I'm still numb, but thankful that more kids were not hurt and staff were not hurt. My heart goes out to the young man's family."
After staff ushered students into the building, the campus was locked down while police investigated the shooting.
"This occurred before the school opens normally, at about 7:35 a.m., so luckily enough we don't have a full school to deal with, but as is our procedure we immediately locked the school down and searched every part of the school to make sure there were no other shooters, no other weapons and to make sure no one else was injured," said Minton.
You almost feel guilty that, you know, that you're relieved that your kids are OK but you know that somebody else is hurting right now. It's terrifying.
Consuelo Palacios, parent
After the lockdown was lifted late Monday morning, students were bussed to a reunification center at the district's multipurpose athletic center at 1001 E. Division Street where they were later released. The district said all Lamar students who were inside the school were taken to the reunification center regardless of how they arrived on campus Monday morning.
Monday was the first day back in class for students in the Arlington ISD after being off for spring break last week. Classes begin at the high school at 7:35 a.m., the district said, and not all students were back on campus when the shooting occurred.
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