Students alert school security after spotting gun on CA – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

What happened Thursday at DeSoto High School is similar to what we’ve seen recently in Dallas and Arlington: teens had an argument that escalated and involved weapons.

Things will look a little different when they return next week. Backpacks are not allowed on campus, making it easier for security guards to detect weapons after someone smuggles a weapon onto campus.

“I was afraid for my life. I was in my classroom, we’re about to die. I was really scared,” said Shadairria Lynn-Mims, a student.

Several students tell us that two children got into an argument and one of them called a friend with a gun. The district confirms that one of them let the shooter in.

“You lose friends because of nothing, because of the way you dress, because of bullying, because of a woman, because of the way you look, it’s crazy,” said Keisha Lynn, a mother.

This time the gun was never drawn. Students saw the student let the shooter in and alerted campus police.

The school district says it shows the benefit of having full-time officers here.

“It’s great because it says that kids are aware of this, and it says a lot about adults and how they work to create those lines of communication,” said Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones, DeSoto ISD’s chief communications officer.

The district has increased its security staff here and provided this video showing their work.

“We have created a presence where everyone knows security is what they see when they enter our building, so everyone feels safe and secure,” said James Thomas, director of maintenance and operations for DeSoto ISD.

Parents welcome the safety changes but say the school must first work to address the reason why students are fighting so much in the first place.

“Maybe as a family, I think we need some kind of program that we get involved in,” said Darla McCuen, the grandparent of a student.