At least 4 injured in Texas school shooting

By Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 0141 GMT (0941 HKT) October 7, 2021

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5:48 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

Here's what we know about the Arlington, Texas, high school shooting

Four people were hurt in a shooting this morning at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, police said.

One victim suffered minor injuries and three others were taken to the hospital.

If you're just reading in, here's what we know about what happened:

A fight broke out before the shooting: Arlington police got a call at 9:15 a.m. local time that there was a shooting on the second floor of the school. Police said a fight occurred in a classroom before a teenager began shooting. The shooting was not a "random attack" on the school, according to police.
The suspect is in custody: Police said that their suspect in the shooting, 18-year-old Timothy Simpkins, left the school in a vehicle. He was later taken into custody by police. Simpkins is being charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The victims are recovering: Police said that one victim, a male student, had surgery and is out. Another victim, an adult male, is not in surgery but is in a "good position." A third victim who was injured is expected to be released from the hospital soon. "So two will remain in the hospital, which continue to make hopefully a speedy recovery," police said.
Police warned about additional threats to schools on social media: Arlington police said they have been seeing "a lot of social media comments about threats to our schools from young kids." They pleaded with the community to try to stop any threats but added that they will investigate them along with their federal partners.

3:22 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

Police recovered a handgun "in the street," says police chief

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

Grand Prairie Police Department chief Daniel Scesney announced that officers had recovered .45 caliber handgun following a shooting that injured at least four people at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas today, but warned police could not say for sure if it was the weapon used until it had undergone further testing.

"Our officers have transported a weapon they located in the street," said Scesney, speaking at news conference this afternoon. "We can't confirm it is the weapon. It may be the weapon."

Scesney said the weapon would undergo further testing to find out if it was the one used in the shooting.

The weapon "is being transported to our partners... to do some analysis to determine if it's the right weapon," he added.

3:51 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

All students have been evacuated from Arlington high school, police say

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

Families wait to be reunited with their children at the Mansfield ISD Center For The Performing Arts, where students of Timberview High School were taken following a school shooting. Tony Gutierrez/AP

All students have been evacuated from Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, after a shooting occurred at the school, according to police.

"We had about 1,700 students here at Timberview High School, and we're glad that they're safe. We're trying to reunite them with their families," Arlington Police Department Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said.

Kolbye said that all schools in the Arlington school district have been "locked out," so no students can currently enter them. They will momentarily lift that to ensure parents can go in and get their kids.

Kolbye also warned about threats to schools via social media.

"We've been having a lot of social media comments about threats to our schools from young kids. I want the message to be out there if this is not something to continue. We will investigate you. The federal government will also — our partners will be able to investigate you if you're not living in our city — and we will bring you to successful prosecution, so I'm just pleading with the community out there to try to stop any type of threats that are coming through social media," he said.

He also said that victim services and resources will be available for students.

"We know that this is a tragedy, a traumatic incident for these high school kids," Kolbye said.

2:32 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

Shooting suspect is in custody, police say

The suspect of today's school shooting, 18-year-old Timothy Simpkins, is now in custody, Arlington Police Department Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye said at a news conference.

"He is currently in the police station at Ott Cribbs in Arlington, Texas. And detectives are talking to him at this point in time," Kolbye said.

Kolbye said that the suspect will be charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

He also provided an update on the victims of the shooting. He said that one victim, a male student, had surgery and is out. "That is great news," Kolbye said.

He said that another victim, an adult male, is not in surgery but is in a "good position." Kolbye said that a third victim who was injured is expected to be released soon.

"So two will remain in the hospital, which continue to make hopefully a speedy recovery," he said.

1:15 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

Police asking for public's help in finding school shooting suspect

From CNN's Kay Jones and Holly Yan

Arlington police have identified the suspect of today's school shooting as a student, 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins, and are asking for the public's help in finding him.

"Please call 911 if you know the whereabouts of 18-year old Timothy George Simpkins who may be driving a 2018 Silver Dodge Charger with license plate PFY-6260," the police department tweeted.

Simpkins should be considered armed and dangerous, Mansfield Police Chief Tracy Aaron said.

Timberview High School is located in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas and Fort Worth.

The police department shared the suspect's photo:

1:39 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

Officers already inside school at time of shooting were able to provide support, assistant chief says

From CNN’s Kay Jones

A law enforcement officer walks in the parking lot of Timberview High School after a shooting inside the school in south Arlington, Texas on October 6. (LM Otero/AP)

Police said that they believe the suspect in today’s shooting at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, is not on the premises at this time.

A 911 caller gave police the name of the suspect, Timothy George Simpkins, when calling to report the shooting, according to Arlington Police Department Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye. He said numerous calls came in to report the shooting.

Two police officers from the Mansfield Independent School District were in the school and rendered aid immediately after the shooting, Kolbye said. It’s unclear how the gun made it into the school.

Kolbye said he believed three of those injured during today’s shooting were students and one was a person who may be a teacher, but he could not confirm those details during a news conference. He did say a pregnant woman fell during the shooting and was treated at the scene but was not transported to the hospital.

Police are asking for anyone with video of today’s shooting to contact police to share the information they have.

12:45 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

ATF agent pledges to track down weapon used by suspected shooter

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

The weapon used by a suspected shooter in a Texas high school will be tracked down, pledged Jeff Boshek, the special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Dallas Field Division.

"We'll figure out where this individual got this gun from. Our agents won't sleep, working with our partners here, to figure out how he got this weapon in his hand to come in this school and cause this tragedy today. So, I don't have much information I can give you on the weapon. Obviously, we don't have that yet. We haven't been in the school to figure out the caliber of the weapon or anything like that yet, but as soon as we do, we'll have something to get out to you guys," Boshek told reporters.

The Arlington Police Department said they have identified a suspect and are looking for any information on his whereabouts.

12:49 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

Police have identified suspect who is still at large

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

Police have identified a suspect involved in the shooting as Timothy George Simpkins, an 18-year-old who is currently at large.

He is driving a silver, 2018 Dodge Charger with a license plate PFY6260.

"We currently have multiple agencies, including the US Marshals' task force that is looking for this individual. Again, this is a collaborative effort between state, local and federal agencies to bring this person to justice," Arlington, Texas, Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said at a news conference.

Police consider the suspect armed and dangerous and if seen, people should call 911.

Kolbye said that police believe the shooting happened during a "fight between a student and another individual in a class" at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas.

He said that there were four victims, one with a minor injury and three were transported to a hospital.

Police and other agencies are currently still performing a "methodical search" of the school and campus "as they were in lockdown, and we're going to try to do an orderly fashion to bring them out of the school to ensure that they are brought to their parents," Kolbye said.

"Once the search is completed, we'll make sure that all the students are transported on a bus on the south side of the school to the Mansfield Independent District Center of Performing Arts at 1110 W Debbie Lane," Kolbye said.

12:59 p.m. ET, October 6, 2021

Police believe shooting occurred when a student got "into a fight and drew a weapon"

Arlington Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said that the shooting "is not a random act of violence."

"This is not somebody attacking our schools. This is a student, we believe right now, preliminary, that it was a student that got into a fight and drew a weapon," he added.

Asked if he knew how the shooter was able to get the weapon inside the school, Kolbye said, "I do not."

He did not know if there are metal detectors inside the school.