Texas school shooting: Suspected shooter’s family claim he was bullied
The suspect turned himself in about four hours after the shooting at the school
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The family of the suspected school shooter in Texas said on Wednesday that he was bullied in the past.
In the aftermath of the shooting that injured four, several members of the family of Timothy George Simpkins said the 18-year-old had trouble with bullies in the past.
Law enforcement authorities, meanwhile, have not figured out a clear motive for the attack.
Mr Simpkins was taken into custody after the shooting at the Timberview High School in Arlington. One of the four injured in the shooting is in critical condition, police said.
Cint Wheat, one of Mr Simpkins’ cousins, posted on Facebook: “At the end of the day my lil cousin was bullied. I don’t know to feel about this he not no bad kid[sic].”
Carol Harrison Lafayette, who identified herself as a family member, said Mr Simpkins was robbed prior to the shooting. She said: “He was robbed. It was recorded. It happened not just once, it happened twice. He was scared, he was afraid.”
Ms Lafayette said that he was “looking forward to graduating and doing something with his life.”
Mr Simpkins turned himself in to the authorities about four hours after the shooting.
He faces three counts of aggravated assault, the police said.
Arlington police confirmed that a video related to the attack circulating on social media appeared to have been recorded inside the Timberview High School, the Dallas Morning News reported.
However, assistant police chief Kevin Kolbye said that he was not “100 per cent sure” the video was taken on Wednesday.
Officials did not reveal the identifies of any of the victims of the shooting.
School authorities have cancelled Thursday’s classes at the Timberview High School and the Early College High School.
After-school activities and athletic events were also cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday.
James Brown, the Timberview football coach, said the team is still planning to play Friday’s varsity game at Waco University. Mr Simpkins’ bail is set at $75,000.
“This is not a random act of violence,” Mr Kolbye said. “This is not somebody attacking our schools. We believe this was a student who got into a fight.”
He also added that “this is going to be a long-term, continuing investigation and processing of the crime scene.”