An 18-year-old student named Timothy George Simpkins opened fire and injured two students and two faculty members at Timberview High school in Arlington, Texas before fleeing the scene of the crime. 

The incident occurred on October 6 at 9:15 a.m. The four injured individuals included: three hospitalizations, with two being taken into surgery for gunshot wounds and a pregnant teacher who fell and experienced minor harm. 

The hospitalized patients were identified as a 15-year-old male in critical condition, a 25-year-old male in good condition, and a teenage girl who was in good condition and discharged from the hospital. The pregnant teacher was treated at the scene and not hospitalized, police reported to Fox 4 News.

Simpkins turned himself into the police that same afternoon alongside his attorney. Arlington police claimed that the shooting originated from a fight between Simpkins and another student inside the school building.  

“This is not a random act of violence,” Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said during a morning news conference reported by The Dallas Morning News. “This is not somebody attacking our schools. We believe this was a student who got into a fight.” 

Simpkins’ attorney had contacted authorities before the teen turned himself into the police department. Simpkins has three charges of aggravated assault with a gun that was later identified to be a .45 caliber. He was placed in jail with his bail being set at a price of $75,000.

Police continued with an investigation at Simpkins’ household, where the family explained that there have been ongoing incidents between Simpkins and other students. 

“The decision he made, taking the gun, we are not justifying that. That was not right,” said family member Carol Harrison Lafayette in an interview with Fox 4 News. “But he was trying to protect himself. He was scared, he was afraid. It wasn’t just one person that would attack him and bully him, taking his money. We hope the police department does the investigation properly.”  

The shooting has influenced many students and faculty members, who were in a state of lockdown in the campus classrooms throughout the incident, as well as many parents who immediately ran to the scene of the crime in hopes to hear that their children was safe.

Kandy Schiele, a mother of a 14-year old student who attends the high school, shared with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the text messages sent to her from her son: “Mom, I’m so scared, I’m so scared right now.” 

“This is not how you want to start the school year,” Schiele tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegraph with tears in her eyes.

 Eventually in the afternoon, the school was cleared and the district was able to take the students to their parents at the Mansfield Performing Arts Center through bus transportation.

The school had decided to cancel classes the next day as well as all after-school activities and athletic events for the remainder of the week to give students and faculty time to heal from the incident. 

In response to further inquiries of the incident, the Chiefs and Field Divisions of Dallas, Texas emphasized that they are certain that only one student was involved in the shooting, and that all sympathy must be given to the parents of the victims. 

“I have high confidence there was only one shooter at this school,” said Kolbye. “Our heart goes out to the injured and all the students who went through the traumatic event at this school.”

“As a law enforcement officer and then as a parent with a student in Arlington ISD, this is kind of your scariest moment when this happens not only what you do for your job but when you have a wife who is a teacher and several kids that go to school in the district,” said Jeff Boshek with the ATF Dallas Field Division in a news report covered by NPR. “As soon as we get this information on the firearm we’re going to track it down. We’ll figure out where this individual got it from. Our agents won’t sleep. We’re going to figure out where he got this weapon in his hands to come into this school to cause this tragedy today. To all the victim families, you’re in our thoughts and our prayers.”