ARLINGTON, Texas — The father of the student suspected of killing one student and injuring another has been arrested on federal charges in connection with the shooting.
Court documents show the suspect, John Edward Porter, was charged March 23 with felony possession of a firearm.
The criminal complaint states Porter had two prior felony convictions in Louisiana. He was convicted in 1996 for first-degree robbery and sexual battery and spent three years in prison.
On the day of the shooting, March 20, Arlington police executed a search warrant for Porter's apartment, the complaint detailed, and found a revolver, a Glock and a rifle in Porter's bedroom. Officers later seized a shotgun found near the shooting, and a records trace revealed that a relative of Porter had bought the shotgun.
Porter confirmed while talking with police that he lived at the apartment officers searched and that he had a handgun in the apartment, the complaint stated.
An additional investigation showed Porter had tried to buy a firearm from a licensed dealer in 2014 and 2020, but was denied due to his prior felony convictions, the complaint detailed.
An ATF expert determined the weapons seized in Porter's bedroom were made outside the state of Texas and would have had to been moved into the state.
Exhibits submitted into court show photographic evidence of the various guns and ammunition found within Porter's apartment.
A motion was also recently filed to extend Porter's deadline to reach a plea agreement, court records show. The state has until May 26 to file an indictment against Porter.