Student dies after shooting outside Texas high school
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on March 21, 2023
(ARLINGTON, Texas) — One student was fatally shot and another injured outside a Texas high school on Monday, according to the Arlington Police Department.
The suspect was arrested and charged with capital murder, Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said at a press conference.
The suspect may also be facing additional charges, police said. He is being held at a juvenile detention center, according to Arlington police.
All the students involved in the incident attend Lamar High School and are all minors.
The female student was hit by gunfire and transported to the hospital by an adult near the incident after suffering non-life-threatening injuries, according to Arlington police.
Police responded within minutes to calls of a shooting outside the high school Monday morning.
The motive behind the shooting is unknown and an investigation is ongoing, according to Jones.
Police did not reveal where the suspect got the firearm and did not reveal the type of gun the suspect used in the shooting, citing the investigation.
At the press conference, Arlington ISD Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos said he was heartbroken over the shooting, and for the victims, school staff and the entire Lamar High school community.
“Schools deserve to be a safe space for students to learn and to grow every day,” Cavazos said. “We will continue to work with the Arlington Police Department as they conduct their investigation.”
Classes are canceled for Lamar High School students on Tuesday, with counseling services available on Wednesday, according to Cavazos.
Jones said that authorities would work together with the school district to make sure schools are safe for students.
He also called for the community to come together to tackle gun violence.
“We need our community’s help to ensure that guns do not end up on school campuses,” Jones told reporters. “We need gun owners to step up and be responsible and to ensure that they properly are securing their firearms, so kids don’t have access to them.”
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