Another Texas shooting took place in the United States on Tuesday, April 16, at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas. 17-year-old Tracy Haynes Jr. allegedly opened fire in the school hallways, injuring four students and causing a fifth to have an anxiety-related medical situation. The four other students were hospitalized for their injuries. The suspect is being charged with first-degree aggravated assault and mass shooting, according to the official arrest affidavit.
Texas Shooting Leaves Community Devastated
According to police reports, around 1 PM, Tracy Haynes Jr. was let into the school by a student of the school, who was not identified. Once let in, Haynes reportedly walked through the hallways until he came upon a group of male students, whom he began shooting at “indiscriminately”. He also allegedly shot an injured student at point-blank range. The students who were injured ranged in age from 15 to 18 years old, and the injuries ranged from non-life-threatening to serious. At this time, all are expected to recover.
The Texas shooting was not the first at Wilmer-Hutchins High School, as a separate event last year left one student injured. CNN States about that incident, “In the April 2024 incident, a student brought a handgun into the school, bypassing metal detectors and a clear-bag policy, the outlet reported, citing what officials said at the time.”
On Tuesday, police responded within two minutes of the Texas shooting, and the campus was evacuated and put in lockdown. Another nearby school, Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School, was also placed in lockdown at the time of the shooting. The school will be canceling classes for the remainder of the week and offering mental health supports to those who request them.
Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde held a press conference to address the incident.
“Today, as we all know, the unthinkable has happened. And quite frankly, this is just becoming way too familiar, and it should not be familiar. You don’t ever just get used to this and I’m very aware of that. It certainly weighs very heavy on my heart. But I can’t begin to imagine, as a parent myself, I’m trying to put myself in those shoes. You know the last thing anyone thinks when they’re bringing their children to school, whether it’s a high school, or whether your spouse or significant other is going to work, is to think that these things are happening. But they do happen and they shouldn’t be happening.”
Students who were in the school at the time of the Texas shooting have also shared the terrifying ordeal with NBC News. Detaeja King, a junior at the school, spoke on her experience. “We were in class. I heard like six shots, and the teacher ran to the door and closed it, and told us to hide in the corner. I just thought like it was a computer falling or something, but then it was five more after that. And then everybody just started running, and I was like, was that a gunshot?”
Solandra Ibáñez was down the hall when the first shots went off. “I heard a few shots go off, but I wasn’t sure if they were real gunshots. So, I just stood there. Like, I froze.” Parents also shared their fears and referenced the safety of the school as a primary concern. “This keeps going on. At this point, I’m not going to lie, my son is going to get pulled out of Wilmer-Hutchins. He’s no longer going to attend,” Shonta Rice said.
Texas Shooting Suspect In Police Custody
Authorities confirmed that Texas shooting suspect Tracy Haynes Jr. turned himself over to police custody later on Tuesday night. He is being held at the Dallas County jailhouse awaiting court appearances. It is unclear whether he has had an initial hearing yet, but he is currently held on a $600,000 bond. No attorney has been publicly named to his case, but it is unclear whether he has one at this time.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded to the school shooting through an official release. “Our hearts go out to the victims of this senseless act of violence at Wilmer-Hutchins High School. I offered to support the school district families, students, and staff and to provide law enforcement with the tools they need to arrest the criminals involved and bring them to justice.”
The Texas shooting teen suspect is held on charges of first-degree aggravated assault. Because four individuals were injured, the number of victims upgrades the charge to a mass shooting. As more information is released by law enforcement and court officials, the story will be updated.
