A 16-year-old student in Arlington, Texas, was shot and killed last Thursday, just days after he defended a classmate from an alleged bullying incident at school — and authorities have now arrested the suspected bully and charged him with murder.
Police say that Samuel Reynolds stopped a 15-year-old student from assaulting another student at school. A confrontation ensued on campus but no one was injured.
Days later, Reynolds was fatally shot at the apartment complex where he lived. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.
NBC News reported on Friday the suspected shooter lives in the same apartment complex as Reynolds.
Police told CBS DFW that the 15-year-old was allegedly caught on surveillance cameras as he pulled a .40 caliber gun and shot Reynolds. “He pulls out a handgun from the rear part of his pants he was wearing, points it at the victim and fires one round,” Arlington Police Lt. Christopher Cook told reporters on Friday. “We did recover one spent shell casing.”
The alleged shooter is not being publicly named because he is a minor. He has been transported to a juvenile detention center, though it remains unclear whether he will be tried as an adult or child.
Cook questioned why the 15-year-old had access to a handgun and vowed to investigate how he got the firearm.
“That’s something we want an answer for,” he told reporters. “We are sick and tired of children in our community coming in contact with firearms and possessing them and using them.”
He added that authorities will prosecute whoever furnished the boy with the gun.
Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson tweeted about the murder, saying, “This senseless act of gun violence has no place in society and our hometown community. This was an emotionally tough case for responding officers, investigators and medics. We will direct our attention to how a young teen suspect accessed a firearm used in the offense.”
Students and teachers held a candlelight vigil at Arlington High School on Friday.
“We are heartbroken by this tragic loss of a young life,” the school’s principal, Shahveer Dhalla, said in a statement. “He touched the lives of many of our Arlington students and teachers, and he will be missed. We are keeping our thoughts and prayers with Sam’s family and friends.”
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