A shooting happened on Wednesday at Bowie High School in Arlington and it has raised lots of questions from worried community members. Some of these questions are now being answered.
New information has emerged about the shooting that happened on campus and led to one person's death, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The Arlington Police Department identified has identified the shooter as 17-year-old Julian Howard. Howard was arrested and charged with murder after allegedly shooting 18-year-old Etavion Barnes multiple times around 3 p.m. outside a school building.
When they heard gunshots, school resource officers tried to help Barnes. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office said stated to NBC 5 DFW that Barnes was taken to Medical City Arlington by ambulance and was pronounced dead at 3:27 p.m.
Although the APD has not given a motive for the shooting, detectives believe that the two students knew each other and the victim was targeted, according to the news release.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Howard, who was allegedly found with a THC cartridge but not the murder weapon, had not spoken to police due to a lack of legal representation.
The investigation, including the search for the murder weapon, is still ongoing.
Arlington Police Chief Al Jones expressed sympathy for the Bowie High School community in a statement, saying, “Our hearts are with the entire Bowie High School community tonight.”
“We, as a community, cannot tolerate this kind of violence. Not in our neighborhoods and not in our schools. Violence is never the right answer. We will continue to work in cooperation with Arlington ISD to ensure our schools are safe places for learning.”
A public vigil for anyone wishing to attend will be held at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
The church invited everyone to join them in a time of prayer, reflection, and solidarity with the Bowie High School community wrote on social media.
Classes at Bowie High School are canceled until Friday but will resume on April 29, according to a social media post from the school.
Starting Friday, counselors will be available for students and staff at Bowie from 9 a.m. until noon. Counseling check-in will be in the cafeteria. There will also be counselors at Bowie next week for anyone who needs them, as stated by the school.
The issue of school security has been a major concern in North Texas since the Uvalde tragedy, leading to lawmakers passing several mandates aimed at keeping students and staff safe. However, two school shootings have occurred in the metroplex this month, with another incident involving two students at Wilmer-Hutchins High School, ending with one person being shot in the thigh. The Dallas ISD campus had metal detectors and a clear backpack policy.
