ARLINGTON, Texas — Editor's note: WFAA is planning to stream the trial, beginning Monday morning. View the stream in the video player above.
The man accused of shooting three people at Timberview High School in October 2021 pleaded not guilty Friday.
Timothy Simpkins rejected a plea deal. A key witness is slated to take the stand in his trial now scheduled to begin Monday, July 17.
A grand jury charged Simpkins with three counts of attempted capital murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and a single count of carrying a gun in a prohibited place.
Police said Simpkins shot Zacchaeus Selby after the two fought in a Timberview High School classroom on Oct. 6, 2021.
Court documents indicate witnesses told police a teacher broke up the fight and that Selby was no longer combative. Simpkins, who was 18 at the time, pulled a gun from a bag and shot Selby, who was 15, as he was moving away, the witnesses said.
Bullets also struck the teacher and grazed another student. A fourth person was hurt in the ensuing chaos.
All survived the incident.
Simpkins' relatives and attorneys claim he was bullied. They argue he acted in self-defense.
But Arlington police contend Simpkins put himself in a bad situation by engaging in risky behavior. Court documents indicate prosecutors aim to establish Simpkins had a reputation as Timberview's "biggest weed dealer."
State's attorneys will try to connect the incident to a robbery which occurred during an alleged drug deal a week prior. They'll also introduce evidence proving Simpkins asked someone else to attack Selby before the shooting, they say.
Selby took an oath to testify, indicating he will take the stand when the trial begins. He could refuse to answer attorneys' questions, though.
Simpkins rejected a proposed plea deal. Jury selection began Friday.
Lawyers spent hours trying to weed out potential jurors who might not enter trial with an open mind because they'd seen news coverage of the high-profile shooting.
Perhaps a preview of their defense, Simpkins' attorneys sought to ask jurors whether they could distinguish a school shooting from an isolated shooting that happened at a school.
If the jury finds Simpkins guilty, they will also determine his sentencing.
