ARLINGTON, TX – Julian Howard, a 17-year-old student, has been taken into custody on charges of murder following a fatal shooting at a high school in Arlington, Texas. The incident resulted in the death of a fellow student on the school premises.
The victim, an 18-year-old student named Etavian Barnes, was discovered unresponsive with several gunshot wounds on Wednesday afternoon. His body was located outside the portable buildings of Bowie High School, as reported by Arlington Police Chief Al Jones.
The incident did not result in any other injuries. The accused, a fellow student at the school, was apprehended shortly after the incident in the vicinity of the campus. According to Chief Jones, the two students were acquainted with each other.
The investigation is in its early stages, with detectives striving to establish a motive behind the crime. The shooting was reported around 2:50 p.m., just before the school was about to dismiss its students for the day. The campus was put on lockdown for approximately two hours before students were permitted to depart.
Superintendent Matt Smith of the Arlington Independent School District announced that classes at the school would be suspended for Thursday. Expressing his shock at the tragedy, Smith lamented that schools, meant to be sanctuaries for learning and growth, were being marred by such senseless acts of violence. He assured that counseling services would be made available to students and staff when classes resume.