Trial of Timberview High School shooting suspect enters second day

The trial for Timothy Simpkins, a North Texas teenager accused of shooting several people after a fight with another student at Mansfield Timeberview High School in Arlington in 2021, entered its second day on Tuesday. No one died in the shooting, but several people were injured.

Simpkins faces multiple charges of attempted capital murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and unlawful carrying of a weapon in a prohibited place after police said he pulled out a gun during a fight in a classroom and shot two students and a teacher.

NOT GUILTY PLEA AND OPENING STATEMENTS

"Not guilty your honor," is how Simpkins, dressed in a gray suit and hair tied back, pleaded before the courtroom while standing next to his defense attorneys at the start of the trial.

The prosecution team, led by assistant district attorneys Lloyd Welchel and Rose Anna Salinas, started off the trial with opening statements speaking of the chaos that ensued that day alleging Simpkins was to blame.

"Three people were shot in a mass shooting that he is responsible for," alleged Salinas to the jury. “It’s a tragic horrible scene at that school that’s on lockdown for hours.”

Simpkins' attorneys did not give an opening statement on Monday, but through cross-examination questioning of witnesses, showed how they're alluding to the argument that their client was acting in self-defense.

Video captured the day of by a student, showed Simpkins getting beat up in a classroom by another student, then 15-year-old Zac Selby who would later be critically injured in the shooting.

The courtroom heard testimony from several first responders who arrived at the scene along with 911 calls that were made about the shooting. There was a video shown to the court from the body camera of an Arlington Police officer helping control traffic to the school and had parents yelling profanity at her, upset they couldn't get closer to their children.

EMOTIONAL TESTIMONY TAKES CENTER STAGE

The testimony became emotional as teachers who were in the classroom at the time of the shooting took the witness stand and began revisiting what they saw on Oct. 6, 2021.

"I just opened the door, so I started to yell for help," said Pariesa Altman, a teacher who saw the fight erupt in her classroom.

Altman, who has been an English teacher for 11 years, says she has not been able to teach since the day of the shooting. She said it's taken several months of therapy to even drive past Timberview High School.

She became extremely emotional on Monday morning, as she relived what took place in her classroom two years ago.

Altman said class had already begun since it was after 9 a.m. and she was in the middle of her lesson when she heard a knock on her door.

Zac Selby had arrived late to class, Altman said. She told the courtroom per school policy, the doors were to remain locked during class, which is why he wasn't able to get in.

"I opened the door and was telling him, 'Hey you're late, we need to get started,'" explained Altman.

She said Selby walked past her and looked at Simpkins, who was sitting at the time, but then got up out of his seat.

"They looked at each other, there were not any words spoken, like before the fight started, it was just like they knew that were going to fight, and Zac went to Timothy and he started hitting him. And right behind where Timothy sat there was a whiteboard, and Zac shoved his body against the whiteboard and then he slammed him closer to my desk," described Altman.

That's when she pressed the panic button to the front office and a receptionist answered.

“I was trying to call for help, she couldn’t hear me," cried Altman while on the stand wiping tears away. "They’re still fighting, I didn’t know what to do, so I just opened the door. I started to yell for help in the hallway, just yelling for help."

From her testimony, she explained how two coaches ran into the room to separate the two teens. She tried to keep kids from other classes from running into the classroom.

“As I was trying to keep the kids from going into the classroom to record, I looked over my shoulder and saw the back of Coach Boyd’s head and then I heard him yell, ‘No, no ,no, gun,’ and I ran," recalled Altman. "Believe I heard anywhere from four to six [shots]."

TEACHERS DESCRIBE FIGHT AND SEEING THE GUN

Sarah Herrera whose been a softball and volleyball coach for almost six years and teaches freshman English, was in her conference period and assisting with monitoring the halls when she heard Altman yelling for help.

"I heard screaming, I started walking down the hall until I saw something going on and I ran a little faster," said Herrera.

She told the jury she saw two boys fighting in the classroom.

"It was a pretty violent fight and I didn’t want to get hit, so I did put my hand in trying to intervene. I did see the defendant [Simpkins] get beat up, he fell to the floor in the fetal position. The other boy [Zac Selby] was stomping on his head. I pushed the other kid [Zac Selby] up against the bookshelf, he was like ‘I’m done. I’m done." said Herrara.

The prosecution asked her to demonstrate to the court what that situation looked like and she put both hands up illustrating how Selby stated he was done fighting.

Herrera said moments later she would see Simpkins pointing the gun at her and Selby.

According to the coach, Simpkins then said, “Now what N-word," multiple times to Selby.

Herrera said she and Selby turned to run, but she fell to the ground.

"When I hit the floor I covered my head," said Herrera who said she 'braced' for impact from gunshots.

"Three gunshots rang out, and I heard the door close," recalled Herrera who was uninjured and in the classroom with another student who was visibly shaking and couldn't speak.

Track coach Dean Boyd, who started his second year of teaching at Timberview, said he too heard Altman yelling for help.

"When I entered the classroom I saw the two students fighting, one student was fighting the other student and we separated the students, Ms. Herrera and I. She took Selby, I took Simpkins and we separated to the side," described Boyd who saw Selby stomping on Simpkins's head.

Boyd demonstrated in the middle of the courtroom that once he had Simpkins isolated, he began bouncing and saw the then 18-year-old grab a gun.

"I see Simpkins reach for his waistband, I saw a gun and I said, 'He has a gun, run," described Boyd.

He said he heard a total of about six shots as he was running down the hallway. That's when he heard a female student, one of the three victims injured, call for help.

"She said, 'I've been shot. I've been shot,' When I ran out of the room I heard, 'Pop, pop, pop.' I run down the hall with the young lady, I look back, and I see another three shots being shot off." said Boyd. "He’s standing in the threshold of the adjacent hallway and he’s shooting at Selby."

TEACHER TAKES THE STAND TO DESCRIBE BEING SHOT

English teacher Calvin Pettitt, who was 25 years old and a recent college graduate, said he walked out of his classroom and saw Altman holding the door open and went to help.

He said he got into the classroom and noticed Simpkins walking and reaching down into a bag (which is different than the other staff member who said Simpkins pulled the gun from his waistband).

Pettitt said he froze when he saw the gun. He heard Mr. Boyd say ‘run’ and it clicked that there was a gun. He said he began to retreat backward facing inside the classroom, turned around and ran after a few steps.

He ran to another class and fell at the doorway. He realized he had been shot in the back.

"At the time I wasn’t sure, but once I got into Mrs. Hernandez's room I leaned against the wall and felt an immense amount of pressure on my back, I put my hand behind my back and when I produced my hand, it was covered in blood," described Pettitt.

He said he felt lucky that a student let him in the classroom because the door was locked, per lockdown protocol.

The teacher who was inside that classroom said she used paper towels to help with the bleeding.

"When I was shot, I was shot in my left shoulder, it broke my scapula, penetrated through back ribs went into my lung and lodged itself one millimeter -- what I’m told is the width of a dime -- above my aortic valve, which is a piece of your heart. So if that bullet hit that aortic valve, I may not be sitting here today," said Pettitt.

Pettitt said the bullet is still inside his body. He said he recently began teaching again this year but had to go on medical leave because of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

"Being back at school was extremely triggering, I didn't feel safe while I was there, I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than wanting to get home safely. If that makes sense. I've been at home doing weekly therapy, trying to rejoin the real world," Pettitt said.

WAS THE FIGHT OVER OR WAS IT SELF-DEFENSE?

The prosecution stated in opening arguments that it plans to play a video showing how close many other students were to becoming victims.

The state continues to argue its case that they believe Simpkins intentionally tried to kill Selby once the shooting continued from the classroom into the hallway.

"Is Timothy finished, oh no he’s not finished, he’s intent on murdering Zac so long Zac is on the floor trying to crawl away, trying to make it to a stairwell. You will see a video of him pointing that gun at him, very steadily shooting him," said Salinas as she motioned her hands together.

She said the video shows Simpkins shooting Selby a couple of more times before putting the gun away, and leaving in his Dodge Charger to his sister's home. He later surrendered to authorities.

Simpkins' defense team made no opening statements, but in public statements in the days after the shooting described him as being bullied.

At one point in the investigation, Arlington police said they found no evidence of bullying. Simpkins' attorneys said they would save evidence of bullying for trial.

It's still unclear whether Simpkins will take the stand in his own defense. Simpkins could face up to life in prison if found guilty.

Day one of the trial wrapped up around 5 p.m. on Monday. Day two of the trial was expected to start at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.