Dallas school shooter identified: 17-year-old Tracy Haynes Jr. - Wilmer-Hutchins High School

Four Students Injured in Wilmer-Hutchins High School Shooting; Suspect in Custody

DALLAS, Texas — A shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School on April 15, 2025, left four students injured and prompted a massive law enforcement response, marking the second such incident at the Southeast Dallas campus in just over a year. The suspect, 17-year-old Tracy Haynes Jr., turned himself in to authorities late Tuesday night and now faces charges of aggravated assault mass shooting, a first-degree felony. The school, located at 5500 Langdon Road, has canceled classes for the remainder of the week as the community grapples with the aftermath.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, surveillance footage revealed that Haynes was let into the school through an unsecured door by an unidentified student around 1:03 p.m. on Tuesday. He allegedly walked through the hallways, spotted a group of male students, and opened fire indiscriminately, striking four students. One student, unable to flee, was reportedly shot at point-blank range. Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed that three victims, aged 15 to 18, sustained gunshot wounds, while a fourth suffered a musculoskeletal injury to the lower body. The injuries range from non-life-threatening to serious, with two students still hospitalized as of Wednesday morning. A fifth student was initially reported injured but was later clarified to have been hospitalized for anxiety-related symptoms.

The shooting triggered a swift response from multiple agencies, including Dallas ISD Police, Dallas Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Students were evacuated to the school’s football stadium, where parents reunited with their children at Eagles Stadium, located at 5520 Langdon Road. Dallas ISD required photo IDs for reunification, and by 5 p.m. Tuesday, all students were safely reunited with their families.

Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde expressed heartbreak over the incident, noting its unsettling familiarity. “The unthinkable has happened, and quite frankly, this is just becoming way too familiar, and it should not be familiar,” she said during a Tuesday news conference. The district has deployed mental health clinicians to support students, faculty, and staff, and additional security will be present at the nearby Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School, which was briefly locked down but unaffected.

Haynes surrendered at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center around 9 p.m. Tuesday and is being held in Dallas County Jail on a $600,000 bond, with $150,000 per count of aggravated assault. It remains unclear whether Haynes was a student at Wilmer-Hutchins, and authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooting. Dallas ISD Assistant Chief of Police Christina Smith emphasized that the firearm did not enter the school during regular intake, when metal detectors and clear backpack policies are enforced, stating, “It was not a failure of our staff, of our protocols, or of the machinery that we have.”

This incident follows a shooting at the same school on April 12, 2024, when a student was shot in the leg in a classroom, prompting scrutiny of the school’s security measures. Despite the presence of metal detectors and a clear backpack policy, concerns persist among parents and students. LaTara Dobbin, a parent, told NBC-DFW, “This is going on too much at this school. It’s ridiculous. I’m going to have to transfer [my son] or something because this is going on too often here.” Community members, including Wilmer City Council member Sergio Campos, who was on campus during the shooting, described chaotic scenes as students fled and victims were carried out, one with an apparent leg injury.

Governor Greg Abbott offered support to the school district, stating, “Since I’ve been Governor, Texas has provided over $3 billion in school safety funding. This session, I am seeking an additional $500 million to further safeguard schools across the state.” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett also condemned the violence, with Crockett stating, “No child should fear for their life at school.”

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities working to clarify how the firearm entered the school and what led to the shooting. Wilmer-Hutchins High School, serving roughly 900 students, will remain closed through Thursday, with a districtwide closure already scheduled for Friday and Monday.

17GEN4.com

Sources:  

• Dallas Morning News  

• FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth  

• WFAA  

• CBS Texas  

• NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth  

• ABC News  

• Newsweek