Crime
Video Captures Moments of Shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas
DALLAS, Texas – Surveillance video captures the moment 17-year-old Tracy Haynes entered a classroom, then returned to the hallway where he opened fire on a group of students before fleeing the scene.
Four students were injured, including three with gunshot wounds, after a shooting occurred Tuesday afternoon at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in southern Dallas.
The incident marks the second shooting on the same campus in just over a year.
Dallas Independent School District (DISD) officials said the shooting was reported at approximately 1:00 p.m., prompting an immediate and large-scale emergency response.
Students were seen evacuating the main school building as police worked to secure the scene and search for the suspect.
According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, four students — ranging in age from 15 to 18 years old — were transported to area hospitals.
Three of the students sustained gunshot wounds, while a fourth suffered a musculoskeletal injury to the lower body.
Their injuries were described as ranging from serious to non-life-threatening.
“This is the unthinkable — and sadly, it’s becoming all too familiar,” said DISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
“No student, teacher, or parent should have to fear violence in a place meant for learning.”
The suspected gunman was identified shortly after the incident, and by 9:32 p.m., 17-year-old Tracy Haynes was taken into custody and booked into the Dallas County Jail.
He is charged with aggravated assault – mass shooting, and his bail was set at $600,000.
It is unclear at this time whether Haynes has obtained legal representation.
Officials confirmed the firearm used in the shooting did not enter the building during the school’s primary intake period, when students are screened through metal detectors and subject to clear backpack policies.
However, authorities declined to say how the weapon entered the premises, or what events led to the shooting inside the school.
“We can confirm that this was not a failure of our staff, of our protocols, or the equipment in place,” said Assistant Chief Christina Smith with the DISD Police Department. “But this is still a very fluid and ongoing investigation.”
More than 20 law enforcement units responded to the shooting, including Dallas ISD Police, the Dallas Police Department, and federal partners from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Texas Governor Greg Abbott was briefed on the situation and offered state resources to assist in the aftermath.
In response to the incident, district leaders announced that classes would be canceled for the remainder of the week, and counseling services would be made available to all students and staff affected by the shooting.
A reunification site was quickly established at Eagles Stadium, where parents were asked to bring photo identification to retrieve their children.
This incident comes almost exactly one year after a student was shot inside a classroom at Wilmer-Hutchins High School, further heightening concerns over school safety in the district.
Authorities urge anyone with additional information related to the incident to come forward as the investigation continues.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.