AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — According to the Dalhart Police Chief Tommy Hughes, a Dalhart High School student is dead after they were reported by officials to have been “seriously injured” after a gun was discharged on campus.
Jeff Byrd, the Dalhart ISD Superintendent, said in a statement posted to the district’s Facebook page that a child not enrolled in the district picked up three Dalhart High School students when one of the students was reported to be injured by a firearm in the vehicle.
The accident occurred in the parking of the High School campus and law enforcement responded immediately to the scene. Pursuant to District emergency protocol and procedures, all District campuses were placed in lockdown. In cooperation with law enforcement, it was later determined that there was no threat to District schools and there was no danger to students. Parents were informed of the incident by the District’s 911 app and advised that the High School would be released at 2 p.m. Please be assured that the safety of students and staff is paramount to the District. We are grateful for the quick response and assistance to law enforcement.
Jeff Byrd, Dalhart ISD Superintendent
Byrd went on to say that the district will not make any additional comment on this matter.
According to Chief Hughes, an officer tried to make traffic stop on the vehicle, which was speeding. He said the vehicle did not stop until it got to the emergency room.
“And that’s when we discovered that a young man had sustained a gunshot wound,” said Hughes. “He was taken into the ER, where they worked, all the medical side of that and ultimately, the young man did not survive the injuries.
Dalhart Police are not releasing the student’s name at this point.
“It’s kind of a heart tug on our community, especially on me when I personally know family involved,” Hughes said. “So based on all that, like I said, it’s an ongoing investigation as into the circumstances and how this occurred and when that’s all done wrapped up and we can release that information, we’ll do that at that time.”
For now, Hughes is reminding parents to teach their kids the danger of guns.
“If you’re gonna have a gun in your house around your kids, make sure that they know what it can do and this is just a very bad example of that. So I just want to stress love your kids, hug them, and teach them about gun safety, please.”
Chief Hughes said their hearts go out to the family, school, and community.
“People need to seek counseling and talk to somebody,” he added. “That’s something I will do myself, have my officers do, and it’s a very important piece of this and we all have to process it together as a community.”
Original Story
DALHART, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — In a post on the district’s Facebook page, Dalhart ISD officials said a student was injured after a gun was discharged in a vehicle in the parking lot of Dalhart High School.
According to officials, all campuses were placed on lockdown and law enforcement officials were called to the school.
Officials said with law enforcement cooperation, it was found that there was no present threat to the campus and the school was released at 2 p.m.
