Gov. Greg Abbott Pledges State Help After Timberview High School Shooting In Arlington
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Governor Greg Abbott offered state resources to Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and the surrounding community following Wednesday morning's shooting at Timberview High School in South Arlington.
"We as a state working with the local communities will do everything possible to ensure that the shooter will be prosecuted swiftly and effectively," Gov. Abbott said.
Abbott made his comments at noon during the start of his news conference with ten other Governors at the border in Mission, Texas.
"It is illegal for the shooter to either possess or to have purchased the gun that was used in this crime," he said.
State Representative Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, represents the area surrounding the school.
He said Wednesday that he hopes the investigation can quickly reveal key questions about the accused shooter.
"How the student came to possess the gun in the first place, and how the student was able to bring the gun on to the campus and into the building," Rep. Turner said.
After ten people were killed and 13 others were injured in a shooting at Santa Fe High School in South Texas three years ago, the state legislature passed a comprehensive bill to prevent school shootings.
School districts are now required to have emergency operations plans in place, train not only school resource officers but teachers, including substitutes and other employees on what to do during emergencies.
They must also have threat assessment teams to identify potentially violent students.
The state increased mental health services, and provided school districts some money to harden their campuses.
The law though left it up to individual school district leaders to decide what's best for their communities.
After the shooting Wednesday, the district sent school buses to Timberview High School to take students to be reunited with their parents.
Wednesday CBS 11 saw a line of school buses waiting to take students to be reunited with their parents.
One parent praised the school district. "I do thank Mansfield ISD because they did keep the communications open. I mean, I was driving but we got text messages and emails. So I think they did a really good job of informing the parents."
Representative Turner said, "I'm glad to hear that about the emails and text messages. Communication is key in a time of crisis."