On Monday morning, local cops reacted to reports of a gunman on the Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy campus in Mesquite, Texas. Police said they were attempting to negotiate with the man, who has not been publicly identified, when “an officer-involved shooting occurred.”
Monday’s incident is another gun-related incident at a school. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to preventing gun violence in the United States, at least 25 incidences of gunfire on school grounds occurred in 2024, resulting in 11 deaths and 17 injuries across the country.
The police have not revealed the student’s identity, age, or possible reason. It’s also unclear whether the student ever discharged their gun.
The pupil has been sent to a local hospital for treatment. However, the student’s status remains unknown.
Police say no other kids or policemen were wounded.
“We’re just grateful that a tragedy was avoided and nothing worse happened,” Mesquite Fire Department Captain Travis Block said during a news conference.
Meanwhile, Shubham Pandey, the charter school’s district superintendent, confirmed in a social media statement that the suspect who brought a gun to the school was a student and that everyone on campus was “safe and secure,” adding that the situation was contained due to the “immediate implementation of our school safety plans and procedures.”
“To guarantee the safety of our school community, we have strict safety processes in place to deal with such events properly and swiftly.” Those procedures were tested today, and they worked as expected,” school officials stated in a statement.
Furthermore, school administrators stated that classes would resume on Tuesday but that kids would be able to access counseling services.
“We certainly understand that students have experienced some level of trauma,” a district statement read. “Our students and staff are our ultimate priority.”
Meanwhile, local authorities continue to investigate the incident, noting at a press conference that “the incident is still very active.”
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), more than 50 mass shootings have occurred nationwide this year, killing more than 75 people and injuring 175 others.
Monday’s tragedy follows a string of shootings across the United States.
Several people were shot in Kansas City, Missouri, near a parade route after the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory last week.
According to Chief Stacey Graves of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, 10 to 15 people were shot, and one of them died. Two armed individuals were apprehended following the shooting, according to local police.
In early January, an Iowa high school administrator died while attempting to defend pupils during a school shooting at Perry High School, which injured six others. Dylan Butler, a 17-year-old student, was identified as the gunman and died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.
