Photo courtesy of FOX4 News.
The family of Timothy Simpkins, the student who shot another student and three others at a Mansfield, Texas high school on Oct. 6, has said that Simpkins was being bullied. According to KDFW, the family posted the bond on Oct. 8 and Simpkins was released.
Authorities confirmed that the shooting happened after a brutal fight between Simpkins, 18, and another student, Zacchaeus Selby, 15, at Timberview High School that was caught on video.
The two teens are seen on the video fighting as a female teacher calls for help. Simpkins can be seen covering his head as he is being hit repeatedly. He is also thrown to the ground on the video. The police report states that a witness to the shooting had been able to stop the fight and had Selby under control when Simpkins shot him.
“The witness intervened, breaking up the fight Simpkins was involved in. The witness was able to control the other individual involved in the altercation. This individual gave up and stopped being combative. When the witness turns around to check on Simpkins, Simpkins has produced a firearm.”
After the fight was broken up, Simpkins allegedly pulled a .45 caliber from his backpack and shot Selby. A teacher, Calvin Pettit, was also shot, and another student suffered from a graze wound.
Selby was shot four times and required surgery. He is currently in the ICU and expected to recover. Pratt, 25, was also hospitalized but is expected to recover from his injuries.
The Simpkins family claimed that the school has documents noting the ongoing bullying he was subjected to. A GoFundMe set up by Selby’s family denied that he is a bully and said that he is the victim, not Simpkins. Authorities confirmed that they are investigating the bullying claims, and the Selby family admitted that the two teens had been feuding for some time before the altercation.
While the family doesn’t condone what Simpkins has done, they also believe he defended himself after being attacked. A spokesperson for the Simpkins family, Carrol Harrison, said that the young man was afraid after being bullied and beaten up.
“He was scared. He was afraid,” said Harrison. “There’s a video that’s all out on social media that show he was being attacked. It wasn’t just one person that would attack him and bully him, and taking his money, harassing him due to the fact that he had more things than maybe others….We have to take a look at the fact that, bullying is real, and it takes us all. And I do apologize. We ask as a family for forgiveness of any type of hurt.”
Simpkins was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The case is still under investigation.