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The family of the young man who allegedly injured four people, including his teacher, when he opened fire on a Texas high school, say the 18-year-old brought a handgun for protection after being targeted by bullies for wearing nice clothes and driving a nice car.
Timothy George Simpkins, a student at Timberview High School in Arlington, has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after surrendering on Wednesday afternoon.
He was charged with firing a .45 caliber handgun during a fight with another student.
A woman who identified herself as the suspect’s mother claimed he was bullied but declined to give details, the Dallas Morning News reported.
One cousin, Cint Wheat, wrote on Facebook that “at the end of the day my little cousin was bullied. I don’t know what it is, he’s not a bad boy, ”according to the newspaper.
And a woman who said she was a relative speaking on behalf of Simpkins’ family told media he was robbed twice from school.
“He was robbed. It was recorded. It didn’t happen once, it happened twice. He was scared, he was scared, “said Carol Harrison-Lafayette, the Dallas newspaper reported, adding,” There is no justification for anyone … being hurt.
“We have to take into account that the bullying is real. And it takes us all. And I apologize. As a family we ask forgiveness for any kind of injury, ”she said, adding that her bullying had been reported to teachers and principals.
She said Simpkins – whom she described as an “outgoing and loving person” – was bullied for wearing nice clothes and driving a nice car, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“I’m not trying to justify the weapon that was brought, but when you are being bullied, when there are bullies, all over the country you hear about young people… committing suicide”, a- she said, according to the newspaper.
“The decision he made, in taking the gun, we don’t justify it,” Harrison-Lafayette continued. “It was not good. But he was trying to protect himself. And so we hope the police department will investigate properly. There will also be independent investigations that will be carried out so that we can really shed light on this. that happened. “
She added: “He rubbed shoulders with his grandmother, his loving mother, they taught him to love, and he was generous… especially well loved until he entered his senior year. … He couldn’t wait to graduate and do something with his life.
When asked about allegations of bullying by some parents, schools spokesman Donald Williams said the Mansfield District was conducting a full investigation.
“What I will say to this is that we take seriously the safety and security of our students in our faculty and staff,” he reportedly said.
Arlington Deputy Police Chief Kevin Kolbye told a press conference Wednesday afternoon that the shooting resulted from a brawl that broke out in a classroom.
People have since linked two videos shared on social media of a classroom brawl to the shooting, NBC DFW reported.
“I can confirm that we are aware of the two videos and we believe they show the brawl that took place this morning before the shooting,” police spokesman Tim Ciesco said, according to the station. “They are being examined as part of the investigation.”
A 15-year-old boy remained in critical condition after being shot, police said. A 25-year-old man who was also shot was in good condition, along with a teenage girl who was not hit by gunfire, cops said.
A pregnant teacher was injured after falling in the incident, but was not hospitalized, officials said.
Simpkins is being held on $ 75,000 bail.
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