A 20-year-old Texas man who opened fire at Italy High School in Ellis County in 2018 has died while in prison.
On March 21, around 1:50 a.m., Chad Padilla was found unresponsive by prison staff members in the Telford Unit in New Boston. The jail employees performed CPR until EMS and paramedics arrived to transport him to a medical facility, where he was pronounced dead around 2:25 a.m., according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The cause of death has not yet been announced, as the Texas State Office of Inspector General is now investigating the inmate’s death.
In June 2019, Padilla was sentenced as an adult to 40 years in prison for his role in shooting a 15-year-old female classmate in the school’s crowded cafeteria. The victim, Mahkayla Jones, survived the shooting.
Jones testified that she hugged Padilla in the cafeteria, invited him to sit down, and told him he looked angry. She claims he drew back and stated, “Sorry it had to end this way,” before shooting her six times.
Padilla was convicted of attempted capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the January 2018 Italy High School shooting incident in Italy, Texas.
NBC 5 interviewed Jones in 2019 after Padilla was sentenced.
“I can’t forget what he did to me,” she said. “I wake up every morning and look in the mirror, and all I see are scars from him. I can’t forget that, but I can forgive him because whether I hold a grudge or not, it’s not gonna change what happened to me.”
Students informed WFAA that they had complained to school officials about Padilla before the shooting. Padilla had even thrown scissors at a student once.
Ellis County District Attorney Patrick Wilson said the man had a history of violent outbursts. He had been offered opportunities for rehabilitation with failed attempts.
“I do think it’s a tragedy that a man that young gets sentenced to 40 years in prison,” said Wilson. “But given his track record of not improving after treatment options were provided to him, I think the protection of the community was paramount.”
Padilla was 16 years old when the shooting occurred and would have had a chance at parole after serving 20 years in prison.
