The three victims transported to the hospital are expected to recover, police said.
About 1,700 students were evacuated from the high school and were brought to the reunification center to meet their parents.
Officers responded to reports of an active shooter at the school just after 9:15 a.m. Central Time. Shortly after officers arrived at the campus, video began circulating on social media of students in a classroom reacting to gunshots and running to hide.
A second video, which has not been verified by Newsweek, showed two teenagers involved in a fight inside a classroom. Authorities later confirmed they believe a fight inside the school resulted in someone pulling a gun and opening fire, but the investigation is ongoing.
Authorities have identified 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins as a suspect in the shooting. Simpkins is in police custody after turning himself in with an attorney. In a press conference, authorities said they believe Simpkins fled the scene after the shooting. He faces three charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. It is unknown if Simpkins is a student at Timberview High School.
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Assistant Chief of Arlington Police Kevin Kolbye warned that these threats will be investigated.
Mansfield Police Chief Tracy Aaron said that police efforts have been diverted with false threats.
“If they are putting out threats on schools, they will be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
Police urged parents to look over their childrens’ social media.
“We’re glad they are safe,” Assistant Chief of Arlington Police Kevin Kolbye said.
After-school activities have been canceled and the lockout order at Arlington schools has been lifted. Police have increased security at all area schools.
All three victims taken to the hospital are expected to recover, Kolbye said.
One student who was in critical condition is out of surgery and in the ICU but is expected to recover. An adult male is in good condition and a teenage female who was possibly “grazed by a bullet” is expected to be discharged from the hospital soon, Kolbye said.
Assistant Chief of Arlington Police Kevin Kolbye said Timothy George Simpkins turned himself in with an attorney.
Simpkins will be charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Kolbye said.
Kolbye added that a weapon was recovered on the street in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Grand Prairie Police Chief Daniel Scesney said it is not confirmed yet if the handgun recovered by police was the weapon used in the shooting at Timberview High School. Police are currently running tests.
According to Tim Ciesco with the Arlington Police Department:
A 25-year-old male is in good condition A teenage girl is in good condition and will be discharged from the hospital soon A 15-year-old male is in critical condition A fourth victim has already been treated
Two of the victims are said to have gunshot wounds, CBSDFW reported. Two of the victims transported to the hospital were students and one is an “older person” who may be a teacher, police said.
A fleet of school buses arrived at the school and began transporting students to a reunification site at the Center of Performing Arts at 1110 W. Debbie Ln.
Dozens of those school buses still remain outside the school, and some parents told NBC 5 that their children have yet to board a bus.
There were four victims in the shooting, three of whom were transported to receive treatment at a hospital. Abbott said that he had no information about any loss of life resulting from the injuries.
He also said that he was “confident” that the suspected shooter, Timothy Simpkins, will be located “very soon.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also commented on the shooting, saying in a statement that “Texans are heartbroken and outraged” at the occurrence.
The lockout, rather than lockdown, allows classes to resume normally inside the other schools, but no one is allowed to enter or leave.
The lockout will continue until the Mansfield ISD police department clears the other school campuses, the district said.
These devices are used to block signals to prevent students from using their cell phones during class.
However, the blockers made it difficult for students to send messages during the active shooter lockdown Wednesday.
During the press briefing, police also noted that there are no metal detectors at the school.
Arlington Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye identified Simpkins, 18, as the suspect during a news conference and said that a search was underway for him.
It was not immediately clear if Simpkins went to his home after the shooting, but police said that he may also be driving a 2018 Silver Dodge Charger with the license plate PFY-6260.
“I know all of us are lifting up in prayer the students and the teachers and the first responders and the parents,” Cruz said during a press conference. “There have been far too many of these in far too many schools.”
He said he is “grateful for the courage and heroism of the first responders” and hopes that the victims “will come through and survive.”
Cruz held a press conference Wednesday to discuss the “humanitarian crisis” on the U.S.-Mexico border. This comes as 10 Republican governors from various states meet Texas Governor Greg Abbott at the border.
The viral video posted on TikTok by a student at YES Prep Southwest referred to another school shooting in Texas that took place last week.
In that shooting by a former student, just the school’s principal, Eric Espinoza, was injured after being grazed on his back with a bullet.
Read more here.
Timothy George Simpkins, an 18-year-old Black male is at large. It is not confirmed if Simpkins is a student.
Assistant Police Chief for Arlington Police Kevin Kolbye said the suspect is driving a 2018 silver Dodge Charger, license plate PFY6260.
Police said there was a fight between a student and another individual in a class and a gun was used.
The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. Police advise people to not approach the suspect and urge people to call 9-1-1 immediately if they spot the suspect.
Three of the victims were taken to the hospital for medical treatment. The last, who had minor injuries, refused treatment, Kolbye said.
Kolbye said that he believes two of the victims were injured by gun shots, but did not know the severity of their injuries.
Three of the victims were students, and the other may have been a teacher, Kolbye said. One of them may have also been a pregnant woman who was treated at the scene, he added.
Mansfield ISD said in a statement that the school had been given the all clear and it planned to begin reuniting students with parents at the Center of Performing Arts at 1110 W. Debbie Ln.
Arlington Police said officers will be at the scene to aid the reunification process.
“We’re all scared, we’re all worried, we’re all sick,” one parent said. “We’re hoping there’s that there’s no casualties and that all of our babies can come out of that school okay.”
Police told parents to go to the reunification center at the Performing Arts Center at 1110 W. Debbie Ln.
FOX 11 correspondent Bill Melugin tweeted pictures of Abbott with the other governors, all of whom are scheduled to hold a joint press conference Wednesday afternoon after a briefing from the Texas Department of Public Safety
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine are among those who joined Abbott at the meeting.
Arlington Police said officers will be at the scene.
“Students will eventually be bused to that location after the school is completely secured,” police said.
Timberview High Shcool has been cleared and reunification processes will begin soon, Mansfield ISD said in a statement.
“We are currently solidifying our reunification process so that parents/guardians can reunite with their students,” the district said.
Arlington police have confirmed there are “multiple victims” in the shooting, but did not say how many, according to NBCDFW reporter Maria Guerrero.
He said that there were reports that students were fighting and one student pulled a gun out of his bag and “started shooting” people.
He also said that one person was seen coming out of the school on a medical gurney. There is no official confirmation on the status of victims.
There is no official word on what prompted the shooting or the status of the shooter. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Police said they are “doing a methodical search” of the building.
There is a media staging area at the Timberview High School softball field.
The short video showed students inside one of the school’s classrooms, who then began hurriedly getting out of their seats as the shots rang out. One person was heard saying “oh my god.”
Twitter user Nerissa Knight posted the video on her page.
Guerrero said parents are instructed to go to the student nutrition center at 151 Mansfield Webb Road.
