Freshman student grazed by bullet near South Oak Cliff High School
DALLAS — South Oak Cliff High School was placed on lockdown Monday after a female freshman student was grazed by a bullet in a park near the school.
Dallas police said four to five males were fighting at a park across the street from the school on South Marsalis Ave. A gun was fired and the shot grazed the girl. She ran to the football field where the coaches helped her, a spokesperson for the Dallas Independent School District said. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.
"Perhaps they could have resolved through some type of conflict resolution," said Dallas City Council, District 4 Councilwoman Carolyn Arnold King, who was on the scene. "They could have gone to a counselor... But for some reason, it seems to be so easy for young people to get their hands on guns and that's very very troubling."
The shooting did not occur on school grounds and the lockdown lasted 30 to 40 minutes, the district said.
There is not currently information on any charges or arrests and it's unclear if any of those at the park are students at the high school.
The shooting comes days after 17-year-old David Washington was killed. Investigators say a suspect shot Washington in an area across from John Kincaide Stadium. Police announced the arrest of a 16-year-old murder suspect on Monday.
"What we normally say is, 'make this make sense,'" said Arnold King. "You can't make sense of it."
The councilwoman said they will look at adding more lighting, cameras, and smart sensors at South Oak Cliff's Renaissance Park.
"We know the headlines are not what we want them to be in terms of Dallas being a safe community," Arnold King said.
The district said school counselors will be available at South Oak Cliff High School on Tuesday.