Five students sustained injuries in a shooting incident Tuesday afternoon at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in southeast Dallas after a 17-year-old allegedly gained unauthorized entry to the school and opened fire “indiscriminately,” according to a state affidavit supporting the suspect’s arrest warrant. The injured students, ranging in age from 15 to 18, were transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries that spanned from non-life-threatening to serious, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jason Evans informed CNN affiliate WFAA. While the Dallas Independent School District Police initially reported four students injured, the affidavit later revised the number of victims to five.
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According to county records, the teenager is currently detained at a Dallas County jail on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated assault mass shooting, with a bond set at $600,000. It remains uncertain whether he has secured legal representation or made his initial court appearance. The shooting commenced shortly after 1 p.m., and a school resource officer responded within two minutes, followed by officers from numerous law enforcement agencies, stated Stephanie Elizalde, superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District, at a Tuesday news conference. Surveillance video circulating on social media appears to capture the chaotic scene of Tuesday’s shooting. What begins as a seemingly ordinary school day at Wilmer Hutchins High School takes a horrifying turn as a shooter appears on screen and students begin to flee in disarray. At one point, the video depicts the shooter aiming a firearm at a lone student who had fallen to the ground before running down a hallway and out of the camera’s view. While the footage aligns with information contained in an affidavit obtained by CNN, CNN has not independently verified the video’s authenticity. According to the affidavit, surveillance footage reviewed by police showed an unidentified student allowing the suspect entry into the school through an unsecured door at approximately 1:03 p.m. The affidavit further detailed that the suspect then brandished a firearm and began firing at students, striking five individuals. The suspect reportedly approached one student who was unable to flee and “appeared to take a point-blank shot,” the affidavit stated. When provided with a copy of the footage, the Dallas Independent School District informed CNN that it could not confirm its validity. CNN has reached out to Dallas Police for comment regarding the footage. Authorities did not disclose any information regarding a motive for the shooting, as the investigation remains ongoing and fluid, stated Christina Smith, the school district’s assistant police chief, at the news conference. “This is becoming far too commonplace, and it should not be,” Elizalde emphasized. She announced that classes at the high school have been canceled for the remainder of the week. The shooting occurred nearly a year after a separate incident at the same high school resulted in one student being injured, according to WFAA. The outlet reported that in the April 2024 incident, a student brought a handgun into the school, circumventing metal detectors and a clear-bag policy, citing information provided by officials at the time. Following Tuesday’s shooting, Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School, located adjacent to the high school, was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure due to its proximity, although it was not in immediate danger, Elizalde clarified. She added that the elementary school would hold classes on Wednesday and Thursday with an increased police presence. Texas Governor Greg Abbott contacted Elizalde to receive an update on the situation and offer any necessary state resources, the superintendent reported. She further stated that all evacuated students were subsequently reunited with their parents and guardians. “Our hearts go out to the victims of this senseless act of violence at Wilmer-Hutchins High School,” Governor Abbott said in a statement. “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,” he added.
