The trial for a Texas teen accused of attempted murder has begun.
Opening statements in the trial of 18-year-old Timothy Simpkins took place Monday.
On October 6, 2021, Simpkins allegedly shot four people, including two teachers, inside a classroom at Timberview High School in Arlington. Zacchaeus Selby, a 15-year-old student who was critically wounded in the shooting, was released from the hospital two weeks later, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The school shooting did not result in any fatalities. Simpkins’ family claimed that the shooting stemmed from him being a victim of bullying.
Pariesa Altman, one of the teachers in the school, testified that Selby charged Simpkins in her classroom, starting a fight between the two boys. Simpkins’ attorneys, Lesa Pamplin and MarQuetta Clayton, told the jury that Simpkins was balled up on the floor at one point and did not fight back as Selby continued to punch him, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Altman yelled for help and two other teachers entered the room, attempting to stop the fight and clear out students who were trying to record it. One of the teachers, Sarah Herrera, testified that she witnessed Selby stomp on Simpkins’ head.
Herrera said Simpkins brandished a gun while teachers attempted to quell the situation. She testified that Simpkins said, “Now what, [expletive],” as he brandished his weapon toward Selby.
Assistant Criminal District Attorney Rose Anna Salinas told the jury that Simpkins shot Selby once initially and then another time as Selby attempted to crawl away. Another bullet grazed one student.
In her opening remarks, Salinas argued that even though Selby had the upper hand in the fight, the situation did not justify Simpkins’ retaliation with a firearm.
Simpkins faces three charges of attempted murder, three charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of possession of a weapon in a prohibited area. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
He pleaded not guilty, according to Fox 4 KDFW. The trial will continue Tuesday.
Violent crime issues also persist in nearby Dallas, with 2,309 instances of aggravated assault reported during the first four months of the year and a 23% rise in homicide rates over the first four months of 2022. More recent statistics are deemed “unreliable” by the City due to an alleged ransomware attack on its servers, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
A shortage of officers has challenged the Dallas Police Department’s ability to deter crime, as reported by The Dallas Express. The department employs just over 3,100 officers, far fewer than the estimated 4,000 needed to police the City adequately.
The City might benefit by looking at neighboring communities for solutions. Deep Ellum, for example, created a dedicated police unit in the fall, a common tactic to address crime hotspots, especially downtown areas. A dedicated police unit also patrols Fort Worth’s downtown area, which has a much lower crime rate than downtown Dallas.
