The 17-year-old student accused of murder after the Bowie High School shooting has a $750,000 bond set. NBC 5’s Phil Prazan has the details on the return to school following the shooting.
Classes resumed Monday morning at Bowie High School in Arlington after police say an 18-year-old student was shot and killed by a classmate last week.
The accused gunman, 17-year-old Julian Howard, remains in jail on more than $750,000 in bonds. Howard was arrested near the campus and was charged with murder in the death of 18-year-old Etavion Barnes.
Barnes was fatally shot outside of a portable building.
The Arlington ISD confirmed both Howard and Barnes were students at the school. Following the shooting on Wednesday, classes were canceled Thursday and Friday.
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The school district said they are working with Arlington police to add more security at the campus and that counseling services are being made available to students and staff for the week.
Some parents talked to NBC 5 Monday morning saying the enhanced security made them feel safer while others said their children would not return to the campus next year.
“It’s been, I don’t want to say traumatic, but I’ll say it’s an experience, to say the least. Because you never think it will happen to your child. When you’re going through this and you have to explain what really happened," said Brandon Henderson, whose daughter attends Bowie.
Gabrielle Eunice, whose daughter also attends the school, said she prays daily for her children and generally for safety at the school.
At the release of class Monday afternoon, 9th grader Loui Benavidez told NBC 5 there was a notable difference, with the presence of security and extra Arlington Police officers on campus.
"I just like to know that they’re at least trying to keep us safer and knowing that they’re trying to prevent this from ever happening again," said Benavidez.
Eric Brown, another dad picking his son up from school, said the end of the school day brought a sense of relief. He said he wants his son and others to finish the academic year strong, despite tragedy.
“Mainly I worry about the children, how their mindset is. If they can get back into the groove,” he said. “Because it’s hard to get past that. But what can we do? Just pray that it doesn’t happen again.”
The investigation is ongoing and police have not yet confirmed a motive. The search for the murder weapon is also ongoing and the Arlington police are receiving help from federal investigators including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Arlington Police released a statement reads in part:
“We used metal detectors and detection dogs in attempt to locate the weapon but due to the very thick brush, they were not able to go any deeper into the wooded area.”
