1 dead, 1 hurt in Texas school shooting; suspect arrested
ARLINGTON, Texas — A student opened fire at a Dallas-area school Monday morning, killing one student and injuring another before being arrested on a capital murder charge, police said.
The shooting at Lamar High School in Arlington began about 6:55 a.m., before many students arrived for the first day of class since spring break, according to police and district officials.
Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said Monday that a male student who was shot died at a hospital and that a female victim was receiving medical care after being “grazed†by shrapnel. He declined to give their ages or grades.
A male student was arrested at the scene and charged with capital murder, Jones said at an afternoon news conference. The police chief declined to identify the suspect because he is a minor, saying the boy is being held at a juvenile detention center.
The shooter ran from the scene without entering the school building, and officers arrested him “within minutes,†Jones said. Investigators recovered a gun, the chief said, but the attacker’s motive and where he got the weapon remain unclear.
Investigators are interviewing witnesses and analyzing video to explain the delayed police response to the massacre that killed 21 at a Texas school.
When your child asks about the recent mass shootings in California, it might be hard to find the right words. We asked experts to weigh in with guidance on how to provide both comfort and clarity.
Jones said the police officers normally stationed at the school weren’t there during the shooting, which began shortly before they were to start duty.
Arlington Independent School District spokeswoman Anita Foster said the campus went into lockdown during the shooting. School buses and other arriving students were diverted from the campus before classes were to begin, Foster said.
School staff began reuniting students who had been sheltering inside the building with their parents or guardians around 11 a.m., according to Supt. Marcelo Cavazos. He said there would be no classes Tuesday and that counselors would be available to students and staff Wednesday.
In Texas, people convicted of capital murder can be sentenced to death. Prosecutors decide which charges to pursue, and the counts don’t always reflect those brought upon arrest.
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