A teenage suspect is in custody as authorities investigate the motive behind a shooting that left four students injured at a Dallas high school.
Where a teacher’s swift actions are being praised for potentially saving lives.
The incident occurred on April 15 at Wilmer-Hutchins High School, according to Assistant Chief Christina Smith of the Dallas Independent School District Police Department.
All four students were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Smith said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jason Evans told the Dallas Morning News that three of the victims were between 15 and 18 years old and had sustained gunshot wounds.
The 17-year-old suspect later turned himself in and was booked into the Dallas County jail at 9:32 p.m., the newspaper reported. His bail has been set at $600,000.
While officials have not detailed how the shooter managed to bring a firearm onto campus—where students are required to pass through metal detectors and use clear backpacks—Assistant Chief Christina Smith noted that the weapon was brought in outside of the school’s regular intake hours.
“So it was not a failure of our staff, our protocols, or the security equipment in place,” Smith emphasized.
Teacher Helped Prevent Further Violence
“The teacher is a very humble individual who took quick and decisive action,” Superintendent Elizalde told reporters.
“He was able to guide the student away from campus, allowing him to first care for the injured students and also prevent the alleged suspect from entering the rest of the school.
His actions helped avoid what could have been a much more violent situation.”