Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Police say armed Texas student wounded by officers in school had meant to hurt people

Police in Mesquite, Texas, say a student who carried a gun to school had intended to harm other people before police fired 19 shots at him, leaving him with a minor leg wound

Ken Miller
Thursday 22 February 2024 00:27 GMT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A student who carried a handgun into school in Texas had meant to harm others before three police officers fired 19 times at him, leaving him with a minor leg wound, police said Wednesday.

“He brought a gun to school to hurt people,” Mesquite police Lt. Brandon Ricketts said. “He was there to hurt people is what he was telling witnesses” who later spoke to police.

There were no other injuries and Ricketts praised administrators at Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy for doing “an outstanding job” of containing the teenager inside an office until police arrived.

Three officers who responded to the call from an administrator Monday morning found the boy alone in the office. There was no indication the teenager fired the gun, but he refused to come out before the three officers fired a total of 19 shots through an open door, Ricketts said.

The 16-year-old boy was not seriously wounded when he was either grazed in the leg by a bullet or struck by shrapnel, Ricketts said.

Ricketts declined to say who the boy had been targeting, saying that is part of the ongoing investigation. What prompted the officers to fire also is under investigation and isn't being released, Ricketts said.

The officers are on paid leave pending the results of the investigation by Mesquite Police and Dallas County prosecutors. Ricketts said they have not yet been questioned and are typically allowed up to four days to provide statements before being questioned by investigators.

The teenager was treated at a hospital for his wounds and is now in custody of Dallas County juvenile authorities on a charge of carrying a firearm onto a school campus, Ricketts said.

A statement from the charter school said students and staff returned to campus Tuesday with counselors available to all students, staff and parents. The school also said it is installing metal detectors at entrances and bringing more security officers onto campus in the eastern Dallas suburb. They'll also host a parent meeting on Thursday to discuss safety procedures and answer questions.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in