FORT WORTH – Arlington Heights High School was placed on lock down Thursday afternoon after a student fired a weapon near the campus, said officials with the Fort Worth Independent School District.
A 15-year-old student has been charged with Deadly Conduct and Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon. His name has not been released because he is a minor. Another student, Asa Jones-Martin, 17, was arrested for resisting arrest, search or detention.
The incident reportedly happened at a fast food restaurant across the street from the school.
According to Fort Worth police, they received a call regarding a fight and shots fired in the parking lot. When they arrived, the shooter had fled the scene but police found shell casings from a firearm at the scene.
Officers tracked down the alleged shooter with two other students a few blocks away and took the shooter into custody. However, none of those students had the weapon on their person.
Police then received a report that another student may have recovered the gun and taken it back to the school. Authorities confronted that student, who was found to have a BB gun. That student was also taken into custody.
The search for the gun that fired the shots in the parking lot is ongoing.
Arlington Heights Principal Sarah Weeks said in a letter sent home to parents Thursday she called for the lockdown out of "an abundance of caution" and nothing happened on the campus.
"I have nothing but praise for the response of campus leadership, teachers and students as we went into a lockdown following the reports of the off-campus event," says Superintendent Kent P. Scribner. "The most important thing for our community to know is that the safety and security of our students and staff comes first and we will do everything to ensure that."
Fort Worth police also told News 8 they are aware of a photo circulating on social media purported to show the student brandishing the firearm during the incident. The department spokesperson could not confirm if the photo was authentic and News 8 has been unable to confirm the veracity of the photo independently.
No injuries were reported in the incident. Friday morning the school district said increased safety patrols would be on the school's campus and in the surrounding neighborhood.
Police say another 15-year-old was arrested Friday morning at Arlington Heights High School for Terroristic Threat after he posted threats of retaliation on social media that were supposed to occur at school Friday. Police say the threats had no validity, but the student has been arrested.
