On February 19, 2024, at 08:49 a.m., Mesquite Police Dispatch received a call from a school administrator at Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy, located at 3200 Oates Dr., reporting a student with a firearm in an office and refusing to comply. Upon arrival, officers negotiated with the suspect, a 16-year-old student, who eventually surrendered after officers fired shots. The suspect was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
The school was searched, and students were reunited with family at a nearby church as per emergency plans. Fortunately, there were no injuries to students, faculty, or officers. Mesquite Police praised the administrators' actions and the school's emergency protocol. The officers involved, including an 8-year veteran, a 5-year veteran, and an officer-in-training, are under investigation by the Mesquite Police and Dallas County District Attorney's Office.
