Three officers fired at armed 16-year-old Mesquite student, police say

A 16-year-old boy who brought a gun into his charter school on Monday morning is hospitalized in stable condition after being fired on by three police officers, Mesquite Police say. Students, meanwhile, say they recall hiding and staying silent before hearing gunshots.

According to the Mesquite Police Department, officers were dispatched to the school at 3200 Oates Drive after an administrator called at 8:49 a.m. to say there was a student in the office with a firearm in his hands and that he was refusing to put it down.

Police said other administrators spoke with the student to try to keep him calm until officers arrived at the door. When police got to the school at 8:55 a.m. they also tried to get the teenager to put the gun down, but they said he refused.

In a statement, Mesquite Police said the teenager was alone in the administrator's office as officers attempted to get him to surrender the weapon but that, "During the process of negotiating, an officer-involved shooting occurred."

Police said Monday afternoon that three officers shot at the teenager at 9 a.m. and that afterward he was injured and "complied with commands and was taken into custody."

Police did not say what happened in the immediate moments before the officers opened fire and they have not said if the student fired his gun or pointed it at the officers.

Officials said the boy was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition. Police have also not said how many times the boy was hit, or confirmed whether he was hit by a bullet or shrapnel.

Because he is a juvenile, the student's identity is not being released. It's not yet clear why the boy brought the gun to school.

According to police, no other injuries were reported.

Mesquite Police said the three officers involved were an 8-year veteran, a 5-year veteran, and an officer-in-training with multiple years of service from another agency. The Mesquite Police Criminal Investigations Unit and Internal Affairs Unit are investigating this incident, as well as investigators from the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office who conducts a separate and independent investigation as well.

STUDENTS RECALL HIDING, STAYING SILENT BEFORE HEARING GUNSHOT

Students at the scene told NBC 5 about their experience during the lockdown on Monday and about how they learned about the active shooter situation.

"At first when I heard that we were on lockdown, I thought it was just a normal drill because it's my first one," one student told NBC 5. "Once they actually told someone and there were people inside the building and there were cops, then I was like, 'Oh, so this is real,' and then we had to get in a corner and hide and make sure everything was silent. We couldn't talk for, like, hours."

"They told us to stay in the class until the second team comes and then we'd go to the church and I heard, like, a gunshot," another student told NBC 5. "It was pretty scary."

Parents had to wait for hours outside of the school before the situation was secured and the students were released.

Talitha Conner, the mother of a girl in the senior class, told NBC 5 about her experience during the terrifying ordeal.

"It's horrific. I mean, parent's worst nightmare," Conner said. "We hear it every day. I mean, it's becoming the new norm and I'm sick of it."

Conner was at work when she received a text from her daughter saying that the school was on lockdown.

"I was at work just bawling, in tears," Conner said. "The scariest thing you could ever imagine."

SCHOOL TO PROVIDE COUNSELORS, WILL HOLD CLASSES

School officials said they are aware of how incidents involving guns on campus can cause anxiety and trauma. They said they are "committed to providing a safe and nurturing learning environment for our students" and plan to provide counseling services to Mesquite Oates staff and students. 

"We certainly understand students have experienced some level of trauma. Our students and staff are our ultimate priority," the school said.

The school also thanked staff and police for bringing an end to the incident before any other students were hurt.

"We want to inform our school community that thanks to the swift actions of our staff and the immediate implementation of our school safety plans and procedures, the situation was contained," school officials said in a statement. "We have rigorous safety protocols in place to handle such incidents effectively and efficiently to ensure the well-being of our school community. Today, those procedures were tested, and they worked as intended."

The school confirmed Monday afternoon that classes would be held the rest of the week.

NEW SAFETY MEASURES TO BE PUT IN PLACE

Monday night, school leaders said in a message to parents that they're putting new safety measures in place.

Additional surveillance cameras will be installed throughout campus to improve monitoring capabilities, the message said.

It also said the school plans to introduce metal detectors that will be added at key entry points to ensure weapons cannot be brought onto campus.

Students are already required to use clear or mesh backpacks.

In addition to armed security guards, staff will also be trained to provide an extra layer of protection.

Entry systems will also be upgraded to ensure all access points are secured and monitored.

A community meeting will be held soon, the message said.

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