A suspect has been taken into custody, school district officials announced the evening of April 15, in relation to the shooting at Dallas’s Wilmer-Hutchins High School earlier in the day that triggered a campus lockdown.
Police responded quickly to reports of a shooting incident at the school around 1:25 p.m., according to a statement on social media platform X from the Dallas Independent School District (ISD), the public school district serving most of Dallas and several surrounding areas.
The shooting has sparked a wave of concern among families and officials—nearly one year to the day after a similar incident rocked the school community.
Christina Smith, assistant police chief for the Dallas Independent School District, said at the earlier news conference that the investigation was fluid and she did not have any information on what led to the shooting.
Smith said that the gun didn’t come into the school during “regular intake time,” adding that “it was not a failure of our staff, of our protocols, or of the machinery that we have.” But she said she could not elaborate on that.
By 2:12 p.m., officials said the campus was secured. Reunification began shortly afterward at Eagles Stadium, with the district stating that parents and guardians needed to bring photo ID to pick up their children and that counselors were available on site to assist with emotional support and trauma response.
A male teenager was shot in the leg in the incident, officials told local media outlet WFAA, and another three people aged 15 to 18 were injured by gunfire. All four injured were males and were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from serious to non-life-threatening.
Witnesses told local news outlets they heard gunshots, while aerial footage shared on social media showed parts of the police response and students walking or running to safety.
The shooting drew immediate comparisons to last year’s incident at the same school, where a student managed to bring a gun past a metal detector and shoot another student inside a classroom. In the wake of that event, Dallas ISD pledged reforms—including increased security personnel, stricter enforcement of bag policies, and retraining for staff on metal detector use.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) called the incident heartbreaking.
“I am heartbroken to learn of yet another shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School—nearly one year after the last,” Crockett wrote.
“My prayers are with the students, teachers, and families who are once again forced to live through this nightmare. No child should fear for their life at school. No teacher should have to barricade a classroom door.
“Let me be clear: this is not normal. This is not acceptable. Guns do not belong in our schools. Every student deserves to learn in a safe environment.”
She thanked law enforcement for their swift response to the incident.
Authorities have not yet released details about the suspected shooter or what led to the shooting.
The Epoch Times has reached out to Dallas officials with a request for additional information, including the identities and conditions of those injured and whether any arrests have been made.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement, “Our hearts go out to the victims of this senseless act of violence.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
