DALLAS — A teenager was shot in the leg at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas on Tuesday, prompting a large police response and mass evacuations of the campus, a Dallas Fire-Rescue source and school officials told WFAA.
The source said an active shooter call prompted the response, which began to unfold just after 1 p.m. at Wilmer-Hutchins, located on Langdon Road off Interstate 20 in Southeast Dallas. Crews were dispatched to the scene at 1:06 p.m., according to Dallas Fire-Rescue officials.
Dallas Independent School District officials confirmed in a statement that police were responding “to a shooting incident” at the school. By 1:45 p.m., the active threat had ended, a source told WFAA. By 2:15 p.m., the campus had been secured, according to Dallas Independent School District officials.
The Dallas Fire-Rescue source told WFAA that gunshots were reportedly heard inside the building, and one victim — a teen male — was shot in the leg. The source said the victim was in stable condition but no more details about his condition was immediately available.
Three people in total were transported from the scene by Dallas Fire-Rescue, the source said, but it wasn’t clear how many of those were shooting victims.
Helicopter footage from the school showed numerous police vehicles, fire trucks and paramedics in the parking lot areas surrounding the school. Also, footage showed dozens of students running from the school across a grassy area.
The students were eventually evacuated to the bleachers near the school’s football field and track area.
School district officials said families could reunite with their children at Eagles Stadium, located at 5520 Langdon Road. The district asked parents and guardians to bring a photo ID.
“We understand this is a difficult time and ask for your patience,” the school district officials said in a statement. “Counselors are on site and available for anyone who may need support.”
Watch our initial coverage from the scene:
“I’m deeply troubled to learn that a shooting has taken place at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas. Our schools should never be places of violence. I’m grateful to the [Dallas PD] and [DFR] for their swift response to this situation,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson posted on X.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Tuesday said she was “heartbroken to learn of yet another shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School — nearly one year after the last.”
“My prayers are with the students, teachers, and families who are once again forced to live through this nightmare,” Crockett said. “No child should fear for their life at school. No teacher should have to barricade a classroom door. Let me be clear: this is not normal. This is not acceptable. Guns do not belong in our schools. Every student deserves to learn in a safe environment.”
A moment of silence was held on the Texas House floor following a speech from Rep. Aicha Davis who represents the district where the school resides. Davis asked for prayers for her district, students, law enforcement, emergency responders, and more. Then, House Speaker Dustin Burrows asked members to stand for a moment of silence.
WFAA spoke with a woman who said she has two sons that go to Wilmer-Hutchins High School. She said one of her sons frantically called her to tell her there was a shooting.
“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare,” she told WFAA’s Jobin Panicker.
Another witness at the scene told WFAA’s Cole Sullivan that her sister texted her from inside the school when the shooting happened.
“She told me she was one of the last people to get out. There was a lot of screaming, she heard three bullets come from the cafeteria,” she said.
A parent who said her daughter attends Wilmer-Hutchins High School said her daughter called her and told her there was a shooting at the school and she was safe, but she hasn’t been able to reach her since then.
“I want to make sure she’s OK,”
she told WFAA. “It just hurts.”
Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins, whose district includes Wilmer-Hutchins, called the shooting “a sad say for DISD.”
“I’m thankful for all the fire department, the police department, the state troopers…came to the rescue at a fast pace and secured the school,” Atkins said. “The school is safe now.”
Tuesday’s incident wasn’t the first emergency response at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in recent memory.
Last year, in April 2024, a shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School left one student injured.
In the 2024 incident, officials said that the shooting occurred after a student brought a handgun into school, despite there being metal detectors and a clear-bag policy in place. According to Dallas ISD Police Chief Albert Martinez, the metal detector did go off when the student went through it, however, a proper bag check was not followed.
This error raised serious concerns for parents, students and community members. And in response, Martinez said they would retrain the staff on metal detectors and bag checking.
Another critique of the incident response was the reunification process. However, Martinez said it had to be slow and methodical so that police can ensure every student is getting back to the proper person.
