Police said the 16-year-old suspect was alone in an office refusing to put down the gun. Then at some point during negotiations, three officers shot at the suspect.
MESQUITE, Texas — A student was taken into custody after they entered a Mesquite charter school with a gun Monday morning, resulting in an officer-involved shooting as police responded, officials said.
Police said the armed student was injured during the incident, but no other students were injured and no officers were injured.
The incident happened shortly before 9 a.m. at the Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy in Mesquite, a charter school for grades 5-12 located at 3200 Oates Drive.
Mesquite police said officers were dispatched to an active shooter call after a report of someone entering the school with a gun. Helicopter footage from the scene showed numerous police cars and SUVs in the area, one ambulance, a SWAT-like police truck, and officers in tactical gear.
A release said the suspect, a 16-year-old, was alone in an office in the school. A caller had told police the student had refused to put down the gun in his hands. Officers reportedly gave him verbal commands, but at some point during negotiations, three officers shot at the suspect. He then complied with commands and was arrested.
Mesquite PD confirmed to WFAA that 19 shots were fired by the officers. They also said there was no initial indication that the suspect fired at the officers.
The suspect was injured in the shooting and taken to a hospital for treatment, police said, but it is unclear at this time whether he was injured from a bullet or shrapnel. After he is treated at the hospital police say he will be transferred to the Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center.
No other students or officers were injured. The suspect’s identity is being withheld due to his status as a juvenile.
Police said the three officers involved were an 8-year veteran, a 5-year veteran and an officer-in-training who had multiple years of service with another agency.
Along with the Mesquite Police Department’s criminal investigations unit and internal affairs unit, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office is conducting its own separate, independent investigation.
“We are grateful that no children were injured in this incident,” Mesquite police Sgt. Curtis Phillip said.
Officials posted on the school’s Facebook page that the situation “was handled expeditiously” and that “all are safe.”
Shubham Pandey, the charter school’s district superintendent, confirmed in a statement that the suspect who brought a gun to the school was a student and that everyone on campus was “safe and secure.”
“We have rigorous safety protocols in place to handle such incidents effectively and efficiently to ensure the well-being of our school community,” Pandey said. “Today, those procedures were tested, and they worked as intended.”
Students were evacuated class-by-class to the nearby Northside Baptist Church, officials said.
School officials said they planned to hold classes Tuesday but would provide counseling services to students.
“We certainly understand students have experienced some level of trauma,” a district statement said. “Our students and staff are our ultimate priority.”
District officials in a statement later Monday said the school has “comprehensive safety plans for such incidents” and that those plans “proved effective in ensuring everyone’s safety.”
“We are actively cooperating with local law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation and will take all necessary measures in response to this incident,” the statement said.
This is a developing story. Check back for more details.