SPRINGDALE -- Police stationed four to five extra officers at Springdale High School on Thursday, a day after a shooting near campus in which one student fired at another student, injuring him, after classes were dismissed.
The shooting happened about 4:13 p.m. Wednesday on the west side of the buildings at 402 S. Thompson St., Suite 9, and 1003 Wilkinson Lane, about a block south of the high school. Police received reports of five to nine gunshots, Police Sgt. Josh Kirmer said Wednesday.
Arkansas law
• It’s illegal for a person younger than 18 to possess a handgun in Arkansas.
• It’s illegal for anyone to have a firearm in a public school, a school bus or at a designated bus stop.
• It’s a misdemeanor for a person younger than 18 to have a weapon unless they have a previous felony conviction.
• It’s a felony for any person to have a weapon on school property unless they qualify under exemptions for law enforcement or other security officers and juvenile marksmanship competitors.
• Arkansas law gives authority to any school supervisor to search for drugs, guns or other contraband.
• If a student is found with a firearm on school grounds, state law requires a year-long expulsion.
Source: Arkansas statutes 5-73-119 and 6-21-608
Police declined Thursday to release the name of the 17-year-old gunman or the 16-year-old victim. The victim was in stable condition Thursday at Northwest Medical Center-Springdale, said Mike Peters, acting police chief.
Police identified the teen shooter within an hour of the incident with the help of witnesses, said Lt. Scott Lewis, public information officer for the department. About 7 p.m., he was arrested in Lowell in connection with felonies first-degree attempted murder and possession of a handgun by a minor or possession of a gun on school property. Police expect him to be charged as an adult.
The case is still under investigation, Peters said.
Up to 13 people in their teens and 20s standing near where the gunfire happened ran away, Kirmer said Wednesday. Officers spent Thursday trying to find and interview witnesses.
Shell casings were taken into evidence, Lewis said. He was unsure if the gun used in the shooting had been recovered.
School officials kept Springdale High School students inside Thursday, said Don Eichenberger, assistant principal at the school.
Police added extra patrols at all schools for the beginning of the school year Monday but increased patrols Thursday, Peters said.
"We really stepped it up today," he said.
Police on patrol are looking for anything that would raise concern, Peters said. Residents can help by reporting suspicious activity or letting officers know about areas where teens gather, he said. The area near the school where the shooting happened had been a gathering place for many years, police said Thursday.
Springdale High School normally has one to two school resource officers on campus, said Sgt. Jeff Taylor, who supervises for officers at the district's middle, junior high and high schools. There were six resource officers at the high school Thursday.
School officials read a statement about the shooting to Springdale High School students Thursday morning, Eichenberger said. It said two students from the school were involved in an "argument/altercation" that led to the shooting. It also asked students to report information they knew of or heard related to the shooting.
"These are difficult times for us and our community," the statement read. "Horrible things are happening around us that make us question our beliefs and tear at our hearts. We will unite, and we will move forward."
Schools attendance appeared to be normal Thursday, Eichenberger said. About 2,200 students are enrolled at the school, and 2,148 students were in attendance Thursday, Taylor said.
Eichenberger said the arrested teen will face school consequences after the legal system has run its course. The maximum penalty would be expulsion. Eichenberger said he couldn't comment on whether the victim might face consequences.
David Chapman, a commissioner for the Springdale Civil Service Commission, owns the building at 1003 Wilkinson Lane near where the shooting took place. It's across Wilkinson Lane from the high school.
A possible bullet hole was found on the west side of Chapman's building, Kirmer said Wednesday.
Chapman said teens use the space on the west side of his building and 402 S. Thompson St. Suite 9 as a walkway. They use the area behind his building as a place to drink, smoke and fight, he said.
"That's a good hiding place back there," he said.
Teens also park their vehicles in his parking lot, Chapman said, although he wants them to stay off his property. He said he's considering putting up a fence across the front and back of the property to keep the teens out.
Police believe Wednesday's shooting is an isolated incident , Lewis said.
"We can't confirm that it's gang-related, and we have no information that it's connected to any of the other shootings," he said.
Graffiti on the back of 1003 Wilkinson Lane, however, has a reference to "TLS." TLS is a gang in the area, Lewis said in June.
Dan Ball owns Mattress City Furniture Company at 312 S. Thompson Ave. The back entrance to his business is on Wilkinson Lane.
Ball said his 18-year-old son and his 12-, 9- and 6-year-old daughters sometimes come to work with him. He said he and his wife have agreed since the shooting he won't bring them anymore.
Ball said it's terrifying to hear about a shooting but weird too for one to happen near the back door of his business. He usually keeps the back door to his business open while he's working, but he said he plans to be more guarded now and keep the doors closed.
Gene Totty said he's lived at 1408 W. Emma Ave. for more than 30 years. His home is west of Springdale High School and northwest of where the shooting occurred.
Totty said the city has grown so much it's getting the problems of a larger city. However, he said the surrounding area hasn't changed much and normally is quiet.
Springdale Public Library is also near the location of the shooting. Marcia Ransom, director of the library, wrote via email students come to the library after school "and for the most part they are respectful and orderly."
"We're a public place and as such, are subject to all types of activity but having said that, we do all that we can to maintain order and will call the police on suspicious behavior," she wrote, also stating the library has security cameras.
Mayor Doug Sprouse said he was grateful to police for their swift work on Wednesday and efforts to put additional resources in place.
"We will continue to deal swiftly and aggressively with those involved in criminal activity," he said.
Erin Spandorf can be reached by email at espandorf@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAErin. Amye Buckley can be reached at abuckley@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAAmye.
NW News on 08/21/2015