Police arrested a suspect on Wednesday who had been on the run after allegedly opening fire at an Arlington, Texas high school which injured three students and an adult. Police identified the shooter as 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins, who had fled from the school after the shooting, prompting a manhunt by local, state and federal authorities. Officials arrested Simpkins about 1:20 p.m. after he turned himself in to police. He faces three counts of aggravated assault.
Arlington Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said that the shooting occurred about 9:15 a.m. at Timberview High School in Arlington, after a fight between the suspect and another student. The school is part of the Mansfield Independent School District. Kolbye said during a news conference: “This is not a random act of violence. This is not somebody attacking our schools. … We believe this was a student who got into a fight.”
Three of the injured were hospitalized and the fourth, an adult, was slightly hurt after a fall; Kolbye confirmed that some of the victims underwent surgery. Kolbye also said investigators weren’t sure how the suspect bypassed the school’s metal detectors with the gun; police recovered a .45-caliber handgun at the scene and were running analysis to determine if it was the firearm used in the shooting.
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