At least one person was injured after a shooting at a local charter school.
The Mesquite Police Department reported that it had an active shooter call at the Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy located at 3200 Oates Dr. at about 8:49 a.m. on Monday when an unidentified individual entered the charter school with a firearm. The school later issued a statement confirming that one of its students had brought a firearm inside the school.
Local law enforcement arrived and attempted to negotiate with the suspect, however, this led to a shootout with the police that left the individual with unspecified injuries.
“No students or officers were injured. The suspect was transported to a local hospital for injuries sustained during the incident,” said the Mesquite Police Department in a social media post.
The identity of the suspect is currently unknown. Students present on the campus during the incident were safely moved to a nearby church by 11:52 a.m.
“The safety and security of our students and staff are our highest priorities at Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy. We have rigorous safety protocols in place to handle such incidents effectively and efficiently to ensure the well-being of our school and community. Today, those procedures were tested, and they worked as intended,” the school said.
The school has since said that it will be continuing classes through the remainder of the week and will provide counseling services to staff and students.