What we know about fatal shooting outside Bowie High School in Arlington

A teenager is in custody after the fatal shooting of a student Wednesday at James Bowie High School in Arlington.

The victim is 18-year-old Etavion Barnes, police officials said, and the suspect is 17-year-old Julian Howard. The shooting put the campus on lockdown and dozens of parents waited into the evening at a separate Arlington ISD building to retrieve their children.

Here’s what we know:

What happened?

Arlington police received reports of shots fired near a portable building on campus a little before 3 p.m., according to a Wednesday evening news release. School resource officers responded and found a male teenager lying unresponsive on the ground.

He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect tried to flee the area, but officers found him on the perimeter, Arlington police Chief Al Jones said in a news conference. He will face a murder charge, the release stated. Howard will also be charged with possession of a controlled substance for having a THC cartridge at the time, according to a Thursday morning police news release.

Reaction from school, others

Bowie High School was immediately placed on lockdown, officials said.

Officers arrived at the school and conducted sweeps of the area. Students and staff inside Bowie High School were taken to the Arlington ISD athletics center at 1001 E. Division Street.

Parents and guardians were asked to check in with an ID at the reunification center to pick up their students.

The school announced via Facebook that classes are canceled Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, said on social media that he and his wife are praying for the school community following the shooting.

“Our kids deserve to learn without fear of gun violence, and we must act to ensure they are always safe at school,” Allred said.

The Texas Association of School Resource Officers praised the work of those who responded.

“While our prayers are with all of the students, staff, and families affected by this senseless act of violence, let’s remember why we do this job as SROs,” a Facebook post from the nonprofit read. “The relationships we build with our students and the continued training only help us all to be more prepared for the worst days.”

Is there a motive for the shooting?

Police officials said detectives are working to determine the motive. They stated in a Wednesday release that “it appears the suspect and victim knew each other.”

A Thursday update from police stated investigators believe Howard targeted Barnes, but Howard declined to talk with officers after he was arrested. No firearm was recovered.

What to know about Bowie High School

James Bowie High School is located in southeast Arlington. It opened in 1973 and had just under 2,400 students in the 2022-23 school year, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

The school is part of Arlington ISD and sports blue, orange and white colors. It’s named after a soldier who played a prominent role in Texas’ fight for independence in the 1800s.