One student was killed and another was injured after a student in a Dallas-area school in United State’s Texas on Monday opened fire before being arrested on a capital murder charge, news agency AP reported citing police. According to the police and school district officials, the shooting began on a high school campus in a suburb of Arlington around 6:55 AM.
The shooting happened before the students arrived for the first day back to classes after spring break, the officials further said as reported by AP. Arlington police chief Al Jones on Monday told a student, who was shot, died at a hospital.
The other victim was a female who was receiving medical care after being “grazed” by shrapnel, causing injuries that weren’t life threatening, Jones said, as reported by AP. However, he declined to give their ages or grades. The suspect ran away from the crime scene without entering the building of the Lamar High school. Jones said that the gunman was taken into custody by responding officers "withing minutes", as reported by AP.
He also said that the gun used in the shooting was recovered by the investigators. Although the motive of the shooter is still unclear. Jones said that the police officers, who are normally stationed at the school, were not there during the shooting. The shooting began shortly before the officers were set to start duty.
Arlington Independent School District spokeswoman Anita Foster said that during the shooting entire school went into lockdown. The school buses and other students arriving to the school were diverted from the campus. Police said they completed their search of the school at 10:40 a.m, AP reported.
According to Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos, the school staff began reuniting students, who were hiding inside the building with their parents or guardians around 11 a.m. He also said that there would be no classes on Tuesday and the counselors would be available to students and staff on Wednesday. The people, who are convicted of capital murder in Texas, are sentenced to death. The final decision is taken by the prosecutors about the charges to persue in the case. The charges are not always the same as brought upon arrest.