Timothy Simpkins was found guilty of attempted capital murder on Thursday for a shooting that left three injured at Timberview High School in Mansfield two years ago.
Simpkins was accused of shooting and injuring two fellow students and one teacher after a fight broke out inside a classroom at the high school in October 2021, according to CBS News Texas.
Zacchaeus Selby, who was 15 years old at the time, was critically injured during the shooting and spent two weeks in the hospital before being released, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Opening statements for the trial began Monday at the Tarrant County Courthouse in Fort Worth.
A teacher from the school, Pariesa Altman, testified that the fight between the two boys began when Selby approached Simpkins after arriving to class and struck him, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Defense attorneys Lesa Pamplin and MarQuetta Clayton claimed to the jury that Simpkins was on the floor and chose not to fight back but that Selby continued to hit him.
Simpkins’ family claimed that he was a victim of bullying and that it contributed to his decision to shoot at Selby, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
As teachers from the high school attempted to break up the fight, Simpkins allegedly pulled out a weapon and shot at Selby multiple times, injuring three people.
Calvin Pettit, the teacher who was shot, said during the trial that the bullet is still in his body, according to WFAA. He explained how he has suffered from post-traumatic stress since the incident, saying it has affected his ability to enjoy teaching.
Closing arguments were presented to the jury on Thursday morning.
During that time, Pamplin claimed the case was being overcharged and that Simpkins acted in a manner many would have if attacked.
“What terroristic threat did he commit? The terror was outside the classroom. The terror was not inside the classroom. The terror was Zac, pacing up and down the hall, trying to find someone to film him brutally beat Tim. That was the threat. The threat was outside. If the threat wasn’t let in, we wouldn’t be here,” argued Pamplin, according to NBC 5 DFW.
“What is a 17-year-old boy supposed to do when somebody comes in and brutally beats him? Brutally puts him into a fetal position?”
Prosecutor Rose Anna Salinas disagreed and said that Simpkins “absolutely” tried to kill Selby and he was “hunting him down,” per NBC 5.
“You saw the video, that is as cold-blooded as it can get. He knew that there were other people in the classroom. It didn’t matter. He knew that people were running for their lives. It didn’t matter, because he continued to use that weapon.”
Following closing arguments, the jury began to deliberate around 9:15 a.m. and delivered a guilty verdict later that night at about 6 p.m., per CBS News.
Sentencing began on Friday morning, and the jury will have multiple sentences to choose from once opening remarks and testimonies are finished.
Violent crime has been an ongoing issue in North Texas, particularly in Dallas, where 2,309 cases of aggravated assault were reported in the first four months of 2023. Additionally, the city saw a 23% increase in homicides compared to 2022 during the same four-month stretch. More recent verified statistics are currently not readily available due to a purported ransomware attack in May.
Furthermore, Dallas has been enduring a significant shortage of police officers. Roughly 3,100 officers are currently employed by the City of Dallas, many fewer than the 4,000 required to adequately manage crime, at least according to a City analysis recommending three officers for every 1,000 residents.
The shortage has been especially felt in Downtown Dallas, which regularly logs far more criminal offenses than nearby Fort Worth’s downtown area. Downtown Fort Worth has a dedicated crime unit and private security guards patrolling the neighborhood, which is reportedly part of why it has a lower crime rate than Downtown Dallas.
