A social media picture captures what appeared to be a gun in the Dodge Charger of Timothy Simpkins. It should be noted, Texas State Law allows for a person who has legally possessed a firearm to keep it in their vehicle. However, Texas State Law requires anyone who carries a firearm on their person, openly or concealed, must be 21 years of age.
Simpkins had turned himself in on Wednesday, Oct. 4, after he reportedly shot and injured four people in Timberview High School in Arlington. One of his victims was a 15-year-old boy identified as Zaccaeus Selby by his profile in the GoFundMe set to raise money for his medical bills.
Images posted on social media showed what appeared to be a pistol in the side door of Simpkins’ $35,000 Dodge Charger seat. Other social media posts showed Simpkins standing on top of the car in his expensive clothes and sneakers.
Simpkins’ family claims he was being bullied in school because other kids were jealous of his expensive lifestyle and must have carried out the shooting as a means of protecting himself.
Cint Wheat, Simpkins’ cousin, said he was not a bad kid and that other students had picked on him.
Wheat put out a message on Facebook stating that “at the end of the day my lil cousin was bullied. I don’t know to feel about this he not no bad kid.”
In the post’s comment section, she added that her aunt (Simpkins’ mother) had gone to the school to report the bullying, but nothing was done.
“Right now, they about to come up with what shoulda coulda been done when all the signs were ignored and the cries for help,” Wheat said.
Simpkins’ family also confirmed he had been robbed and repeatedly picked on. The family said that while they do not support his action, they are glad he chose not to kill himself.
Carol Harrison Lafayette, a relative of Simpkins, said he had been picked on by other kids because “he was able to get things that other teenagers cannot have.” Carol said Simpkins became a target for the other students because he wore nice clothes and drove nice cars.
