Jury sentences Timothy Simpkins to 12 years, $6,000 fine for 2021 Timberview High School shooting

After almost five hours of deliberations, the jury sentenced Timothy Simpkins to 12 years in prison and a $6,000 fine for the October 2021 shooting at Timberview High School.

It took this same jury over 8 hours to reach a guilty verdict in the first phase of the trial.  

The second day of the punishment phase began with Simpkins taking the stand, as his attorney said so that the jury could hear from him directly.

During his testimony, Simpkins repeatedly said that his actions were the result of him being scared and mad and were not reflective of his character.

 He was asked about the events that led up to the October 2021 shooting at Timberview High School, when Simpkins shot and injured two students and a teacher, who still has a bullet lodged in his chest.

Simpkins was convicted of three counts of attempted capital murder last week.

On the stand, he talked about feeling threatened, bullied, pistol-whipped, and punched and said he only brought the gun to school for protection. Prosecutors have depicted him as a cold-blooded killer who got lucky. 

He said that he did have any intention of killing his target, Zac Selby and that he didn't even know the other two were injured until later that day. 

"I understand what I did was wrong," Simpkins said on the stand. "Very, very wrong. And I'm sorry. I truly am sorry. I just ask for another chance."

After the sentencing, Arlington's Chief of Police, Al Jones thanked those involved in 2021 and since and asked the public to help officers combat gun violence in our community.

"I want to thank all of the Arlington PD officers, our local partners at Grand Prairie PD, Mansfield PD, Mansfield ISD, and all of the other agencies that responded to Timberview HS that day. You were rocks for our community during a horrific and chaotic time," Jones on social media. "I'd also like to acknowledge the outstanding investigative work our Violent Crime Unit did on this case — and the tremendous efforts of our partners at the Tarrant County DA's Office, which led to a successful prosecution. I continue to ask the public to help us combat gun violence in our community. Please make the effort to properly secure your firearms. Take steps to ensure they don't end up in the hands of our youth, and consequently, our schools."

Read more about the case here.