Suspect arrested after Dallas Thomas Jefferson High School student shot on campus Tuesday
A suspect was arrested a day after a student at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas was shot in the arm on campus Tuesday afternoon and taken to a hospital, according to school district officials and police.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said a suspect had been identified but officials wouldn’t release further details until the investigation concludes.
In a letter to parents later Wednesday, Thomas Jefferson Principal Ben Jones said that school district police “arrested the individual responsible for what occurred.” The letter did not includes details on who the suspect is or the charges. It’s unclear whether more arrests are expected.
Dallas police and Dallas ISD police responded to the shooting, which Elizalde called an “isolated incident,” and were reviewing surveillance camera footage.
The shooting occurred in a parking lot as classes were being dismissed for the day. Elizalde said Wednesday that investigators did not find evidence of a fight. Two students in a car pulled up next to the victim before the shooting, she said.
The student who survived “is expected to make a full recovery,” school officials said.
School district police are leading the investigation.
Elizalde said she is glad the school district’s detectives are heading up the investigation because it gives them the power to make it a priority.
“That’s a strength of having our own Dallas ISD police department,” Elizalde said.
In a statement on social media, the school district said that classes at Thomas Jefferson High and the nearby Walnut Hill Elementary were canceled on Wednesday, but counseling was available. “We will continue supporting our students and will have mental health clinicians available at 10 a.m. (Wednesday). Meal distribution will be provided from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at each campus.” Classes will resume Thursday.
Mental health professionals also were on campus Wednesday to provide care to employees.
“Today it was important for our team to be able to shed some tears themselves so they can energize themselves in preparation for our students, for their parents and for each other,” Elizalde said.
She said no amount of preparation can prepare educators for a shooting on campus.
“When the unimaginable happens, even though we train and we prepare, it doesn’t erase the huge amount of emotion that comes with the responsibility of serving in public schools,” Elizalde said.
She added that in recent months the school district has made “extensive” efforts to make schools safer, including facility enhancements, training, mental health services and new protocols.
She said that while the district is certain it was an isolated incident, there is always some concern about copycats. New resources are coming and campuses will have an increased police presence “until I think the campus is ready to feel more comfortable.”
The district is also planning to ask the state for more money for student mental health services.
The superintendent also praised students for their behavior, saying they followed instructions and cooperated with investigators.
“We want (Thomas Jefferson High School) to return to being the safe haven it’s always been for them,” Elizalde said.
The shooting happened a day after a 16-year-old student, Ja’Shawn Poirier, was fatally shot at Lamar High School in Arlington. A female student was grazed by a bullet in that shooting, and a 15-year-old student was arrested on suspicion of capital murder.
This story was originally published March 21, 2023 at 5:41 PM.