Friday marked what would have been Ja’Shawn Poirier’s 17^th birthday. Poirier was killed on March 20 after he was shot outside Lamar High School before classes started.

“It doesn’t feel right. It’s off. He’s missing when he’s supposed to be here,” his mother Rashone Jacob said Friday.

According to Arlington Police, Poirier was sitting on the steps at Lamar High School when another student walked up and pulled out a shotgun before shooting. The 15-year-old suspect was detained and taken into custody.

Poirier’s older sister Nautica Jacob dropped him off at school that morning. Jacob recalled getting home about 10 minutes later before she got the call that he had been shot.

“It’s been very hard for me. I have not been able to sleep,” she said. “I never really knew how other people’s pain felt when it happened to them until it happened to me. Like, now I actually understand their pain and how they feel. Now I can relate.”

Lamar High School principal Andy Hagman recalled rushing to the teen.

“When you hear that shots were fired on the east side of the school, it’s stunning. But you quickly move into action. From there, it was just a race,” Hagman recalled. “To see one of your kids in what was very clearly a life or death situation was just unreal, but you just fall into action.”

Part of the ceremony Friday included a balloon release for Poirier. The crowd wished him a happy birthday as green balloons filled the sky.

Kim Cardwell, the mother of a Lamar High School senior, did not know Poirier’s family prior to the March 20 shooting. Cardwell held onto her son Dalton during the ceremony and said she felt the need to attend to show support as a parent.

“Could have been any one of us,” Cardwell said. “Such sadness for her [Jacob] That she won’t have her son anymore.”

A motive for the shooting has not been released.

Gilberto’s Taco Shop on Arlington’s Park Row is still not open. But already, the restaurant is creating buzz.

Owner Jose Ruiz said he always knew he wanted something iconic on the outside as he prepared to open his second location, so he commissioned DFW artist Juan Velazquez to paint a mural.

Earlier this year Velazquez painted the infamous right hook delivered by Texas Ranger Rougned Odor to Toronto Blue Jay Jose Bautista during a May 2016 game.

“This represents Arlington,” Ruiz said. “The mural represents Arlington. I love it.”

Yet, a different, unsuspecting blow came Monday. The restaurant owner learned through the permitting process the city of Arlington may have an issue with the mural.

“We can’t take down the mural,” Ruiz said. “How are we going to take something so nice down?”

Muralist Juan Velazquez posted about the issue on social media and it drew a quick reaction.

NBC 5 reached out to the City of Arlington and was told wall murals are not currently allowed in that part of the city, but the city had no immediate plans to take action and would seek feedback from the city council.

Response from City of Arlington spokesperson:

“The City of Arlington’s Planning and Development Services Department is working with the owner of Gilberto’s Taco Shop to process the restaurant’s request for sign permits ahead of its opening.

The City has notified the owner that the painted wall mural on the side of the restaurant at 611 W. Park Row Drive is not allowed under the Unified Development Code. Painted wall murals are currently only allowed Downtown and in the Entertainment District. Gilberto’s is located just outside of Downtown.

The City has no immediate plans to take action regarding the mural at Gilberto’s Taco Shop and will seek feedback from the Arlington City Council on whether it would like to make changes to the mural policy.“

Ruiz hopes the situation can be resolved without a fight.

“This is for the culture, you know,” Ruiz said. “This is something different. This is all I wanted to do, have something different in the city of Arlington.”

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Rashone Jacob moved to North Texas recently for a change; a new beginning for her family.

“We literally just moved down here, we’re only eight months in,” said Jacob. “Moved from Pontiac, Michigan.”

Things were going well. Jacob and her children were getting settled. Then she received a phone call from a family member on the morning of March 20.

“She said my son has been shot,” she said. “All could do was scream, cry.”

Arlington police say 16-year-old Ja’Shawn Poirier was sitting on the steps at Lamar High School in Arlington before the start of class. Another student walked up, pulled out a shotgun and started shooting.

The 15-year-old suspect was detained and taken into custody. Poirier was rushed to the hospital where his mother waited until a surgeon came out with the devastating news that her son had died.

“Before she could even finish the sentence I just broke down,” Jacob said.

Jacob said the past month has been a daze. She stands in Ja’Shawn’s bedroom and still can’t believe he’s gone.

“[I] Buried my son, seen him in the dirt, closed his casket, go into his room, I still can’t wrap my mind around it,” she said.

Now that her son has been laid to rest, she wants justice. Police have not shared a motive for the shooting, but Jacob said, concerning her son, there isn’t one.

“He was murdered at Lamar High School,” she said. “My son wasn’t targeted. It wasn’t over a girl or anything. It was just a random shooting.”

She says Ja’Shawn had a love for sports and video games. This Friday will mark what would have been his 17^th birthday. Jacob said this loss is the worst pain she’s ever felt.

In her living room, Jacob clutched pictures of Poirier as a baby. She had a message for him.

“I am so so so sorry that this happened to you,” she said. “I still got your back and I’m going to fight to the end until justice is served.”

The juvenile suspect has not been named due to his age. He appeared at a detention hearing Friday where a judge decided he should remain in custody.

If convicted of capital murder, a juvenile can be sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison.

A juvenile girl who was near Poirier at the time of the shooting was grazed by the shot or flying debris. She was treated and released from the hospital that day.

Arlington Mar 21

Boy Fatally Shot Outside Arlington Lamar HS Identified by Family, Medical Examiner

Arlington Mar 22

Arlington Lamar Students Return to Campus After Fatal Shooting

Arlington Mar 21

Boy, 15, Accused of Using Long Gun in Deadly Arlington Lamar HS Shooting

The student, who has not been named due to his age, was at a detention hearing Friday where District Judge Alex Kim decided he should continue to remain in custody. At a hearing earlier this month, Kim ordered the 15-year-old shooting suspect to remain in juvenile custody and undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Just over a month ago, police said 16-year-old Ja’Shawn James Poirier was sitting near some steps outside of the high school on the morning of March 20 when a classmate approached him with a gun and opened fire. Poirier was taken by ground ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth where he died at about 8:40 a.m.

Arlington Police later confirmed to NBC 5 that the accused shooter was carrying a shotgun and that shells were found in his backpack when he was taken into custody.

A juvenile girl who was near Poirier at the time of the shooting was grazed by the shot or flying debris. She was treated and released from the hospital that day.

A motive for the shooting has not yet been shared by police.

If convicted of capital murder, a juvenile can be sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison, according to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

Arlington ISD Apr 6

Accused Lamar HS Shooter to Remain in Custody, Psychiatric Evaluation Ordered

Arlington Mar 22

Arlington Lamar Students Return to Campus After Fatal Shooting

Arlington Mar 21

Boy Fatally Shot Outside Arlington Lamar HS Identified by Family, Medical Examiner

Concacaf announced the full match schedule on Tuesday, including matches 34 and 35 which are the two quarterfinal games to be played in Arlington in the knockout stage. Those games will both be played on July 8 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Quarterfinal matches will also be held at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 9.

The winners of the quarterfinal rounds in Arlington and Cincinnati will advance to the semifinals which are being held July 12 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, and at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, April 25 at 10 a.m. Concacaf’s full schedule is below.

2023 GOLD CUP PRELIMS SCHEDULE

The 2023 Gold Cup Prelims will take place between June 16-20, 2023, at DRV PNK Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, FL), and will include two direct elimination rounds. For Round One, the 12 participating teams were divided into six pairings.

The schedule for the Round One matches is as follows (listed in ET and local time):

Friday, June 16, 2023 – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL
M1: 4:30 PM (4:30 PM) Trinidad and Tobago vs Guadeloupe
M2: 7:00 PM (7:00 PM) Martinique vs Saint Lucia
M3: 9:00 PM (9:00 PM) Curacao vs Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saturday, June 17, 2023 – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL
M4: 4:30 PM (4:30 PM) French Guiana vs Sint Maarten
M5: 7:00 PM (7:00 PM) Suriname vs Puerto Rico
M6: 9:00 PM (9:00 PM) Guyana vs Grenada

After single-match elimination play, the six-match winners will advance to Round Two. The pairings for Round Two have been pre-determined and the schedule is as follows (listed in ET and local time):

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL
M7: 4:30 PM (4:30 PM) Winner Prelims 1 vs Winner Prelims 6
M8: 7:00 PM (7:00 PM) Winner Prelims 2 vs Winner Prelims 5
M9: 9:00 PM (9:00 PM) Winner Prelims 3 vs Winner Prelims 4

The three Round Two matchup winners will advance to the 2023 Gold Cup Group Stage.

2023 GOLD CUP GROUP STAGE

2023 Gold Cup Group Stage action will take place between June 24 – July 4 and will feature 16 nations divided into four groups of four.

The 12 Concacaf National Teams, which qualified directly through their performances in the Concacaf Nations League group stage, the guest participant, AFC Asian Cup Champions Qatar, and the three Prelims winners were divided into four groups as follows:

Group A: United States, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Winner Prelims 9
Group B: Mexico, Haiti, Honduras, and Qatar
Group C: Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, and Winner Prelims 8
Group D: Canada, Guatemala, Cuba, and Winner Prelims 7

The schedule and host venues for the 2023 Gold Cup Group Stage matches is as follows (listed in ET and local time):

Saturday, June 24, 2023 – Group A
M10: 9:30 PM (8:30 PM) United States vs Jamaica – Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

Sunday, June 25, 2023 – Groups A and B
M11: 3:30 PM (3:30 PM) Nicaragua vs Winner Prelims 9 – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL
M12: 6:00 PM (5:00 PM) Haiti vs Qatar – NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
M13: 8:00 PM (7:00 PM) Mexico vs Honduras – NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Monday, June 26, 2023 – Group C
M14: 6:30 PM (6:30 PM) El Salvador vs Winner Prelims 8 – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL
M15: 8:30 PM (8:30 PM) Costa Rica vs Panama – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 – Group D
M16: 7:00 PM (7:00 PM) Canada vs Winner Prelims 7 – BMO Field, Toronto, CAN
M17: 8:45 PM (8:45 PM) Guatemala vs Cuba – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Wednesday, June 28, 2023 – Group A
M18: 7:30 PM (6:30 PM) Jamaica vs Nicaragua – CITYPARK, St. Louis, MO
M19: 9:30 PM (8:30 PM) Winner Prelims 9 vs United States – CITYPARK, St. Louis, MO

Thursday, June 29, 2023 – Group B
M20: 7:45 PM (4:45 PM) Qatar vs Honduras – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
M21: 10:00 PM (7:00 PM) Haiti vs Mexico – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Friday, June 30, 2023 – Group C
M22: 6:30 PM (6:30 PM) Winner Prelims 8 vs Panama – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
M23: 8:30 PM (8:30 PM) El Salvador vs Costa Rica – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ

Saturday, July 1, 2023 – Group D
M24: 7:30 PM (6:30 PM) Cuba vs Winner Prelims 7 – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX
M25: 9:30 PM (8:30 PM) Guatemala vs Canada – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX

Sunday, July 2, 2023 – Groups A and B
M26: 7:00 PM (7:00 PM) United States vs Nicaragua – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
M27: 7:00 PM (4:00 PM) Jamaica vs Winner Prelims 9 – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
M28: 9:00 PM (9:00 PM) Honduras vs Haiti – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
M29: 9:00 PM (6:00 PM) Mexico vs Qatar – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

Tuesday, July 4, 2023 – Groups C and D
M30: 6:30 PM (6:30 PM) Winner Prelims 7 vs Guatemala – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
M31: 6:30 PM (5:30 PM) Canada vs Cuba – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX
M32: 8:30 PM (8:30 PM) Costa Rica vs Winner Prelims 8 – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
M33: 8:30 PM (7:30 PM) Panama vs El Salvador – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX

2023 GOLD CUP KNOCKOUT STAGE SCHEDULE

Following 2023 Gold Cup Group Stage play, the top two finishers in each of the groups (eight teams) will advance to a Knockout Stage. The Knockout Stage will be comprised of Quarterfinals, to be played on July 8 and 9, Semifinals on July 12, and Our Final at SoFi Stadium, on Sunday, July 16.

The schedule and venues for the Knockout Stage matches are as follows (listed in ET and local time):

Saturday, July 8, 2023 – Quarterfinals
M34: 7:00 PM (6:00 PM CT) 1C vs 2B – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
M35: 9:30 PM (8:30 PM CT) 1B vs 2C – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

Sunday, July 9, 2023 – Quarterfinals
M36: 5:00 PM (5:00 PM) 1D vs 2A – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
M37: 7:30 PM (7:30 PM) 1A vs 2D – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 – Semifinals*
M38: 7:30 PM (4:30 PM) Semifinal 1 (W34 vs W37 or W35 vs W36)
M39: 10:00 PM (7:00 PM) Semifinal 2 (W34 vs W37 or W35 vs W36)

Sunday, July 16, 2023 – Final
M40: 7:30 PM (4:30 PM) W38 vs W39 – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

*The venue for each semifinal matchup will be confirmed at the conclusion of the Group Stage (Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego CA, and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, will each host one Semifinal on July 12).

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Arlington Police said officers arrived at a home on the 5300 block of Pocassett Drive at about 12:30 a.m. on April 4 to find a woman holding her injured son.

The boy, identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office as 2-year-old Rio Carrington, was taken to Medical City Arlington Hospital where he died of his injuries.

Investigators with the Arlington Police said the 2-year-old found a gun in his teenage brother’s room and accidentally fired it, shooting himself.

Police recovered two guns at the home, both of which were believed to have been brought there by the teen. Investigators are still working to determine where and how he obtained the weapons.

Arlington Police said Tuesday that homicide detectives arrested and charged the victim’s brother with one count of making a firearm accessible to a child resulting in death or serious bodily injury and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

Because the teenager is a juvenile, his name is not being released. Police said the teen is being held at the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center.

The City Connect jerseys are a partnership between MLB and Nike to celebrate the relationships between the clubs and the regions that host and support them.

The team said Monday that its City Connect jersey “celebrates the origin story of the Rangers and the Texas spirit that brought Dallas and Fort Worth together in Arlington. Through baseball.”

The uniforms have gothic-style lettering influenced by the Dallas Eagles and include a spur “as a tribute to the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs.” On the right sleeve is a Peagle, a mythical creature inspired by blending the mascots of two Texas League teams the Dallas Eagles and the Fort Worth Panthers.

The jersey also includes a subtle nod to Tom Vandergriff, whose “big dream” and bold vision helped bring Major League Baseball to North Texas. The words “Dream the Big Dream” appear near the bottom of the jersey, on the jock tag, though it may not be visible when tucked into pants.

The font on the jersey’s “speed red” numbers is in a style inspired by the Fort Worth Panthers who won six straight Texas League championships in the 1920s and “are regarded as one of the greatest teams in minor league history.”

The uniform has dark blue pants with rope braid piping, which is another nod to the DFW Spurs who once called Arlington’s Turnpike Stadium home. Near the belt, there’s a version of the DFW Spurs logo of the state of Texas merged with a spur.

The team will wear dark blue caps with the uniform. The gothic TR lettering is on the face with 4-star-21 on the side. The number represents several dates the team said are significant for baseball in Texas including the day Texas gained independence (1836), the date of the first championship baseball game in Texas (1868), the date of the first home game for the Texas Rangers (1972) and the date of the on-field debut of the City Connect jerseys (2023).

The Texas Rangers are one of six MLB teams featured in the 2023 City Connect program. The jerseys will be worn during 13 Friday home games this season and on Saturday, April 22.

To follow the “four plus one” policy on uniforms, four uniforms plus the City Connect uniform, the Rangers had to drop one of their uniforms. In recent years they’d played in white, blue, gray red and powder blue. The powder blue was for Sundays and red for Fridays. The team said in February they chose to keep the powder blue because it was more popular with fans than the red ones.

On Friday, a pair of promotions highlight the uniform debut as the first 30,000 fans take home the commemorative City Connect Program giveaway and the first 15,000 collect the City Connect-themed Marcus Semien Bobblehead giveaway. The Semien bobblehead is the first of a three-part City Connect bobblehead series also featuring Corey Seager on Friday, May 19 and Jacob deGrom on Friday, June 16. Additionally, as part of the Rangers Poster Series, a City Connect edition poster designed by DFW artist Chris Perez will be available for purchase at the Authentics kiosk behind section 134.

The City Connect jerseys are, of course, available for purchase in the team store. More information on sales can be found here.

TEXAS RANGERS CITY CONNECT UNIFORMS

Texas Rangers Apr 16

Semien's Grand Slam Caps 6-Run 7th Inning, Rangers Beat Astros 9-1

Texas Rangers Apr 15

Astros Take 8-2 Win Over the Rangers Saturday Night in Houston

Texas Rangers Apr 14

García Homers, Lowe Has 3 RBIs as Rangers Down Astros 6-2

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The new addition promises to bring innovative teaching to nursing and social work students under one roof.

“This is 150,000 square feet of state-of-the-art space that creates the very best learning environment for our students,” said UTA President Jennifer Cowley.

The new technology includes a Smart Hospital with dozens of medical robots capable of simulating heart attacks, strokes, respiratory distress or even childbirth. The technology will help UTA nursing students participate in critical simulation-based learning that prepares them for the workforce.

A virtual reality lab allows nursing students to take mental health and clinical foundations courses in a virtual environment.

Using VR headsets, they can practice communication and interviewing skills with patients, as well as how to maintain a sterile nursing environment.

There is also a classroom set up as an apartment suite, where social work and nursing students can practice in-home services, such as hospice care or site visits.

UTA has the largest public school nursing program in the nation. They graduate more BSN nurses than any other school in Texas.

“UTA graduates examples of what true character in our community is really about,” said Arlington Mayor, Jim Ross during the celebration on Friday.

The Rangers had their second three-game winning streak of the season stopped on the day they announced star shortstop Corey Seager would miss at least four weeks with a hamstring strain.

Vinnie Pasquantino homered, and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI triple among three hits with a career-high three stolen bases against his hometown team as the Royals ended a three-game losing streak.

The Royals, who came in hitting .190 as a team and averaging 2.8 runs per game, had season highs in runs and hits (14).

Keller (2-1) didn’t allow a run after giving up Nathaniel Lowe’s first-inning homer, leaving after his two-out walk in the seventh ended a streak of 10 consecutive batters retired.

The right-hander, who gave up three hits and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings, has half of Kansas City’s four victories without allowing more than two runs in any of his three starts.

It was Keller’s 18th consecutive start with a decision, the longest streak in the majors in three years and longest for the Royals since Tim Belcher’s 21-start streak in 1996-97.

Melendez lined a tiebreaking two-run double into the gap in right-center for a 3-1 lead in the second and an RBI single in the fourth before scoring on Witt’s triple into the right field corner.

Nathan Eovaldi (1-2), one of three free agent additions to the Texas rotation, allowed 10 hits and six runs with seven strikeouts and a pitch clock violation over five innings in a second consecutive loss.

Josh Smith started in place of Seager, who was injured running the bases a night earlier, and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts from the second spot in the order normally occupied by the three-time All-Star.

Franmil Reyes, Michael Massey and Edward Olivares had consecutive run-scoring singles off reliever Taylor Hearn in Kansas City’s punctuating four-run seventh.

UP NEXT

Both teams are off Thursday going into three-game weekend series. Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (1-0, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to face Atlanta at home. Texas LHP Martín Pérez (1-1, 2.53) is set for the first meeting of the season with Houston.

General manager Chris Young said Seager had an MRI that showed a Grade 2 strain. Seager, who got hurt in the fifth inning of Tuesday night’s game against Kansas City, spent nearly a month on the IL with a left hamstring strain during the 2019 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Somebody of Corey’s caliber is not replaceable, but it leads to [an] opportunity for other players to step up. And that’s what good teams do,” Young said. “All good teams, every team, goes through injuries. And we knew something like this would happen, didn’t know when or to whom.”

Texas went into Wednesday night’s game against the Royals leading the AL West with a 7-4 record.

While Seager went on the 10-day IL, the Rangers activated switch-hitting center fielder Leody Taveras from that list. Taveras, who was set to return from his rehab assignment sometime this week, began the season on the IL because of a left oblique strain sustained during batting practice early in spring training.

Taveras was back in the lineup batting seventh for the Rangers. Josh Smith was the starting shortstop and hitting second, Seager’s usual spot in the order.

Seager was off to an impressive start in the second year of his $325 million, 10-year contract with the Rangers. He got hurt running out an opposite-field double into the left-field corner, his fifth consecutive game with an extra-base hit. He was seventh in the American League hitting .359 overall, and with nine walks had a .469 on-base percentage.

“He’s disappointed. Obviously, no player wants to be injured. Corey is off to a great start. He’s been swinging, even through spring training to the beginning of the season, as well as anybody in the game,” Young said. “He’s bummed about it, disappointed not to be out there with his teammates. … We’ll get him back healthy and he’ll pick right up where he left off.”

After cleanly making the turn around first, Seager took a few more steps before he suddenly pulled up and then limped the rest of the way to second base. He briefly reached toward the back of his leg, bent down and then almost immediately started going back toward the Rangers dugout, even before a team trainer got all the way out to check on him.

Smith took over as the pinch-runner and stayed in the game at shortstop. Smith avoided an IL stint last week after he got hit by a pitch in the face and needed six stitches. The Rangers also have utility player Ezequiel Duran on the roster who can play short.

“We feel like we have good depth and versatility in the infield with Smith and Duran and certainly we are excited to see more of them and hopefully fill the void as best we can until Cory is ready to come back,” Young said.

Seager played 151 games in his debut with the Rangers last season, when he never missed more than three games in a row. He hit a career-high 33 homers and was an All-Star for the third time.

But he missed about 2 1/2 months of the 2021 season with the Dodgers because of a fractured right hand after getting hit by a pitch. Along with the previous hamstring injury, he was limited to only 26 games in 2018 because of right elbow surgery.

According to the Mansfield ISD, no injuries were reported and all students and staff are safe. No information has been released about the student or the weapon found.

According to a letter sent to parents by Principal Derrell Douglas, the gun was found in a student’s backpack after a parent reached out to the district.

“We know this news is upsetting to our parents, students, and staff,” Douglas said, adding that they will have an increased police presence on campus and additional random wand searches going forward. “Providing a safe learning environment for our students is a priority.”

Several students told NBC 5 the incident was kept quiet by school officials. They said there was no lockdown or announcement made.

Timberview senior, Leslie Hassan, said he was at lunch when he received a text message from his mom.

“It was around eleven-something that my mom sent me a text. It said, ‘Did you see this?’” Hassan said. “I didn’t hear anything about it. I was just confused. When I got to my last-period class my teacher was talking about it and everyone was shocked.”

High school senior, Israel Fazia, said although he was shocked, he felt calm.

“I’m not desensitized to it. It’s just that, when it comes to this, I get comfort knowing that the people are quick. They caught the person, and nobody was hurt,” Fazia said. “When I went out for lunch, I didn’t see anybody talking much about it or hear anybody much talking about it.”

Parent, Aubrey McDade Jr. said he has two freshmen that attend Timberview High School. He found out about the arrest through a text message from the school and an alert from his wife.

“It is definitely something that brings about a serious concern,” McDade said. “I talk to my kids about stuff like this and what to look out for… I just wish the schools had a better policy of holding young men and women accountable to learn how to work through their friction.”

Douglas also said counselors will be available for anyone who needs to talk.

“When communicating with your child about this incident, please take the opportunity to remind him or her that it is important to report any actual or suspected presence of any weapon,” Douglas wrote in his letter. “We encourage anyone with concerns to give us a call or report them through our district website at, This is Our House. MISD created this one-stop resource to make it easy for students and parents to let us know what’s going on.”

Some parents including McDade said the school’s response is not enough.

“I don’t think it’s enough. I think the schools as a whole, I think they have a really bad foundation,” McDade said. “Their go-to is to react versus to be proactive. And I think that our kids nowadays are experiencing a whole bunch of stuff, too.”

Students fear school shootings have become the norm.

“I feel sad, yeah,” Hassan said. “Because it’s not supposed to be happening. I feel like kids are just going to school to learn not to like be fighting. And now this is the second time… You have to watch your back and stuff. And I don’t think kids should be worrying about watching their back. It should be more about, ‘Oh, I’m going to school to learn so I could focus on my career and stuff.’ But that’s just how life is nowadays.”

The student, who has not been identified, is expected to face criminal charges in addition to being disciplined by the district.

Timberview High School is part of the Mansfield ISD but is within the city limits of Arlington. Neither the Arlington Police nor Mansfield ISD Police have released any statement about the incident or what charges the student will face.

On Oct. 6, 2021, four people were hurt after a student opened fire during a fight at the same high school. All the shooting victims are reportedly doing OK. Timothy Simpkins, the teenager accused in that shooting is now facing multiple attempted murder charges.

Police said the victim, 55-year-old Khudhair Hamdan, was helping relatives show a purple Dodge Charger to potential buyers who arranged to see the car on Facebook Marketplace.

Citing surveillance video and witness accounts, police said two young men arrived at Hamdan’s home for the test drive on the night of March 21 and that he joined them on the ride. Police said they believe that while on Port Richmond Way, one of the two men apparently shot Hamdan who then got out of the vehicle and collapsed.

Hamdan, police said, died at the scene.

The two men apparently then drove less than a mile away and ditched the car behind a shopping center at Matlock and Sublett roads, that’s where detectives with the Arlington Police said surveillance video showed the two men walking away from the vehicle.

Arlington Police said Monday that homicide detectives were able to identify and arrest two suspects, 18-year-old Luis Gutierrez and 19-year-old Cristian Saucedo, both of Dallas.

“Mr. Hamdan was simply trying to help a relative sell a car – and now his family’s entire world has been turned upside down,” said Chief of Police Al Jones. “Violent offenders like these, who are willing to kill a man for a vehicle they abandoned a few minutes later, have no place on our streets. I’d like to thank our Homicide Unit for the dedication and effort they put into this investigation. I hope these arrests provide some sense of relief to Mr. Hamdan’s family and to the Arlington community.”

According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by NBC 5, the victim’s son said they were contacted by Facebook user “Armando Gutierrez” about seeing the Charger. Hamdan agreed to show the vehicle and asked the buyer to notify him when he was outside of his residence. The victim’s son said in addition to speaking to the buyer through Facebook Marketplace they also exchanged phone numbers and that they talked on the phone.

Police said surveillance video recorded in the area showed two men inspecting the vehicle, driving off with the victim, abandoning the vehicle and being picked up by someone in a black Dodge Challenger equipped with chrome wheels and a hood-scoop/vent on the hood.

Investigators said data tied to the phone number provided showed it in the area where the test drive occurred and then along Port Richmond Way. The next update showed it along Matlock Road where the vehicle was abandoned. Most of the data, police said, was tied to a Dallas address which helped police identify where Luis Gutierrez lived.

Police conducting surveillance on Luis Gutierrez’s suspected residence on April 5 spotted the black Dodge Challenger with chrome wheels parked outside the home and obtained a search warrant. Police said Gutierrez left a short time later and that he was taken into custody during a traffic stop after it was confirmed that the car had been stolen. During that traffic stop, police said three guns were thrown out the window by the occupants and that Luis Gutierrez, who was driving, and his brother Armando Gutierrez were both arrested. A third person who was in the car escaped on foot.

Luis Gutierrez is currently being held at the Dallas County Jail on bonds totaling $1.11 million, including a $1 million bond for the capital murder charge in Arlington and $100,000 for unlawful use of a motor vehicle. It’s not clear if Luis Gutierrez has obtained an attorney. Police have not yet announced any charges against Armando Gutierrez.

Police said subsequent interviews with two other people helped identify Cristian Saucedo as the other person in surveillance photos with Luis Gutierrez and also as the person who escaped from the Dallas traffic stop on April 5.

Members of the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force located Cristian Saucedo at his home in Dallas and took him into custody without incident on April 7. He was booked into the Arlington City Jail and police said he has been transferred to the Tarrant County Jail. A bond amount for Saucedo has not been posted and it’s not clear if he’s obtained an attorney.

Adults convicted of capital murder in Texas face either life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

Job fairs have not been well attended, and many classrooms still have long-term subs.

Schools have decided to join forces in a massive job fair bringing 60 school districts together with open minds for anyone with an interest in teaching.

“We’ve seen a definite decline in the number of attendees who attend face-to-face job fairs, it’s slowly climbing, but it’s a very slow climb,” said Ashley Brown, Executive Director of Human Resources, Little Elm ISD.

Schools are in fierce competition for the few teachers out there. Some districts wait to release their salaries publically until other districts do, to try to offer better pay. But now they’re trying something new. 

“It makes sense to work smart and not against each other,” said Ricardo Lopez, Superintendent of Garland ISD. “There’s no way one employee can look around to all these jobs fairs,  let’s make it easy.”

Sixty school districts around North Texas are coming together in Arlington to hold one massive job fair, Monday at 9 a.m. at the Esports Stadium in Arlington.  

Register for the NCTASPA Teacher Job Fair

They’re working together at a time when so much political rhetoric, out there paints public schools and specifically teachers in a light that’s not the best. It’s something the districts say they’re addressing head-on.

“Because of all that rhetoric going on outside our schools and even sometimes in our board meetings, it’s important for NCTASA (North Central Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators) and public schools to demonstrate how important public school is and the teaching profession is,” said Brenda West, Executive Director of Human Resources, Highland Park ISD.

With so few college graduates majoring in education, especially at the secondary level, schools are looking for career professionals to come into the classroom. 

“I kinda wanted to do this all my life and honestly couldn’t afford to,” said Steve Coy, who recently retired, and then applied and was hired as a teacher in McKinney ISD.

Alternative certification programs are out there to help people transition into a role in the classroom. District leaders say many people started substitute teaching during the pandemic as they lost work and then realized how much they enjoyed the profession, they’re hoping others will do the same.

Registration information for the job fair is online, or you can arrive Monday morning at 9 a.m. at 1200 Ballpark Way in Arlington.

That was the case for Tom Furrier Tuesday at his typewriter shop in Arlington, Massachusetts, after receiving the gift of a lifetime out of the blue.

“FedEx comes through the door with a big box,” explained Furrier, owner of Cambridge Typewriter Co. “I cut it open and started opening the box up and the first thing I see when I open the top lid is a green towel with this logo that says ‘Playtone’ on it. The second I saw it, I yelled out, ‘Tom Hanks!'”

Playtone was the name of the fictitious record label in Hanks’ 1996 film “That Thing You Do!” Two years later, the actor launched a production company by the same name.

Furrier, who’s owned his business for 43 years, said he was in disbelief.

“My apprentice was out back cleaning a machine and I said, ‘Matt, get out here! Tom Hanks just sent us something,'” he recalled.

The typewriter, a 1960 Olympia SM4 from West Germany, was sent and signed by the famous actor and included a personal note.

“Attention Cambridge Typewriter, to whom it may concern. Tom Hanks here. I am presenting you with this typewriter,” it began.

Aside from his Hollywood career, Hanks is known to collect and gift typewriters to people around the world.

While this particular one needs some fixing up, Furrier said it would only take him a few hours.

“I love fixing them. I love giving them back to people and seeing how excited they are. Like, really excited,” he said. “When people come in to buy a machine, their first machine, I wish I could film it. Because it never gets old.”

Furrier said that the timeless piece is one that he, too, will pass on in the future.

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Around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, officers were called to a home in the 5300 block of Pocassett Drive after a woman said her son was bleeding. Around the same time, a neighbor called police to report hearing a gunshot.

When officers arrived, they found a toddler with a gunshot wound.

“It’s always a sad and unfortunate situation when a child is injured in any kind of way, so arriving on scene and seeing a child with a gunshot wound to the face is disheartening,” said Sgt. Courtney White with the Arlington Police Department. “It’s mentally draining, emotionally draining, and just an overall a bad situation.”

The 2-year-old was taken to the hospital but later died. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified him as Rio Carrington.

“A child is dead and a mother is going to have to basically bury her baby because the child located a firearm and harmed himself,” said White.

Police believe the toddler found the gun in an older brother’s bedroom and believe he was in the room by himself at the time of the shooting.

No one has been arrested and detectives are interviewing everyone who was home, according to White.

She said detectives are tracing where the gun came from to know who it belonged to and how it got into the house.

POLICE URGE GUN SAFETY

Officers are also taking this time to remind people to secure their firearms.

“Please lock your handguns up. They can get into the wrong hands or they can get into a child’s hands, and something this serious and unfortunate can happen,” said White. “And now, this mom is going to have to bury this young child.”

She said they have hundreds of gunlocks that they can provide to the public for free. The Arlington Police Department is located at 620 West Division Street.

“This is easily preventable. We try to tell the public to be good, responsible firearm owners, meaning if your weapon is not in use or not on the firing range, you need to lock it up,” said White.

“Just had the wildest three nights in Arlington, TX. So proud to be the first artist to play 3 nights at AT&T Stadium & basically just wanted to say I’m counting down the seconds til we hit the stage in Tampa next week. Love u mean it seriously wow,” Swift said on Twitter.

During each concert, Swift played a 44-song set that lasted more than three hours and covered the various eras of her 17-year musical career. The show was broken down into blocks, where she would play a series of songs from each album, ending with her most recent release “Midnights.” There was no intermission and the only breaks were to allow for quick costume and set changes.

Swift’s stage ran nearly the length of AT&T Stadium and included a screened dancing platform in the middle that was raised and lowered through the show. The platform was also a display, showing images relevant to that “era’s” production.

Swift’s transitions from one era to another were aided by hidden doors in the stage’s floor where she could be lowered gracefully below, or as in another case, allow her to dive into the stage and disappear. In the latter example, the singer then showed up as a projection on the stage floor, appearing to swim the length of the stage before she reemerged on the other end behind a wave, dressed for a new era and climbing into a cloud.

One of the highlights for Arlington fans was Swift swaying and twirling toward the end of her long stage and then kneeling down in front of popular street performer Jaylan Ford. Ford, who has long said Swift is in heavy rotation on his playlist when he dances on the sidewalk along S. Cooper Street, continued dancing Sunday as Swift passed him her hat during a performance of 22 — a song which includes the lyric “Everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like we’re 22.”

Next up for Swift are three dates in Tampa before a return to Texas for three dates in Houston later this month. The U.S. leg of the Eras tour runs through the summer, ending with five dates in Los Angeles.

TAYLOR SWIFT WEEKEND

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Jaylan Ford, well known in Arlington for putting on a good show while dancing along the sidewalk along South Cooper Street in front of The Parks Mall, loves to dance and make people feel good.

After learning he’d hoped to attend one of Swift’s three shows in Arlington, some of his fans rallied together and raised money to buy him a ticket to Sunday night’s concert.

In front of more than 70,000 fans at AT&T Stadium, Swift swayed and twirled over to where Ford was dancing at the end of her long stage and gave him the hat she wore during a performance of 22 — a song which includes the lyric “Everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like we’re 22.”

The moment was recorded by fans including Madison Murrah who shared a video of the moment with NBC 5.

As Taylor bent down to give Ford the hat, he kept on dancing.

After the show, on Facebook Ford said he couldn’t sleep after Swift gifted him the autographed hat.

In an interview with NBC 5 in February, Ford said Swift is on heavy rotation when he’s dancing on the street and that he’s a Swiftie for life.

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Smith dropped to the ground and was quickly attended to by Rangers athletic trainer Matt Lucero Monday night after he was hit on the right side of his face in the third inning by a 88 mph slider coming from the left hand of Baltimore’s Danny Coulombe.

The team said Monday night Smith was taken to a hospital for scans and testing. He has six stitches on the lower right side of his face, a cut inside his mouth and some slight swelling, but no fractures.

On Twitter late Tuesday morning, Smith thanked everyone who reached out and sent prayers, adding that he was doing fine and hoped to be back in the lineup soon. The Rangers retweeted Smith’s tweet and replied with two emojis, a blue heart and folded hands.

“I feel pretty good actually. I slept good,” Smith said later Tuesday in the Rangers clubhouse. “It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Really no pain or anything like that.”

Smith said he had cleared concussion protocol, though he anticipated he would continue to be monitored to make sure there are no issues. He said he also would probably see a dentist, though he didn’t lose any teeth.

Manager Bruce Bochy said there were no immediate plans for Smith to go on the injured list.

Smith has watched the replay a couple of times.

“Looks like a boxer, like when they get punched and their whole face comes off their body,” Smith said.

The Rangers lost to the Orioles 2-0 Monday night — it was the first loss for the Rangers at home this season after they swept the Phillies in the season’s opening series. The Rangers have two more shots at the Orioles in this series — Tuesday’s game is at 7:05 p.m. and Wednesday’s game is at 1:05 p.m.

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Police said they were called to a Public Storage on South Cooper at about noon Monday after a private investigator looking for a missing man found his body instead.

Officers said the man was deceased when they arrived and tentatively identified him as 27-year-old Debony Maffett II. Police said a positive identification and cause of death will be confirmed by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Though they didn’t believe he was in imminent danger Maffett’s family reported him missing on March 27, four days after he was last seen at the convenience store where he worked.

Police said officers attempted to locate Maffett by tracking his cell phone and when that was unsuccessful they entered him into a missing persons database to alert other law enforcement agencies to their search.

A private investigator helping the family find Maffett learned he purchased a storage unit and may have been living out of it, police said. According to police, when the private investigator went to check the storage unit, that’s when he found the body inside.

Police did not say whether there were any signs of foul play or what may have led to Maffett’s death.

The investigation into the man’s death is ongoing pending the results of an autopsy by the medical examiner’s office.

Due to an ongoing covid illness within Stevie Nicks’ band, the concert has been rescheduled for March 9, 2024. The concert was originally announced in November 2022.

According to a statement from the concert promoter and the stadium, “Stevie and her band apologize to the fans for the reschedule, but they look forward to eventually delivering the show everyone deserves.”

Recent posts on Stevie Nicks’ Twitter page announced shows in San Francisco, Sacramento, Oklahoma City and New Orleans had also been postponed due to the ongoing illness.

The Oklahoma City show was rescheduled for April 11 and New Orleans for April 15. No word yet on if those dates will again be rescheduled.

Officials said all previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date and that ticketholders will receive more information via email.

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Smith, a left-handed hitter, was struck on the right side of his face in the third inning by a 1-0 slider from reliever Danny Coulombo. Smith spun back to his left and dropped to the dirt in the batter’s box, breaking his fall with his left hand while holding his face with his right hand.

The Rangers said Smith, who started in left field, went to a hospital for testing on his face and jaw. NBC 5 hopes to learn more about Smith’s condition on Tuesday.

Coulombo was pitching because Orioles starter Kyle Bradish left after being hit on his right foot by a line drive in the second inning. Baltimore announced Bradish has a bruised foot.

Jonah Heim lined a 2-2 changeup back to the mound — the exit velocity measured at 104 mph — with runners on first and second and one out. The ball struck Bradish on the outside of the foot as he was completing his follow-through. The ball rolled to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who tagged the base with the runners moving up.

Manager Brandon Hyde and a team trainer visited with Bradish, who walked around the back of the mound. Hyde then pulled Bradish, who was able to walk to the dugout. Coulombo came in and struck out Brad Miller to end the inning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Video from Texas Sky Ranger showed crews outside Swift Elementary School on South Fielder Road. An Arlington ISD spokeswoman said a student there fell into a storm drain at about 3:30 p.m.

About an hour later, surrounded by first responders, the child was seen being freed from the drain. The student walked to a stretcher and was loaded onto an ambulance.

Arlington firefighters say she was taken to a hospital to be checked out but did not appear to be seriously hurt.

“The whole time she was in the storm drain, we had our crews down there and she was able to talk to us and respond,” said Jeff Durand with Arlington Fire. “And like I said, when we got her unstuck, she was able to kind of get off the ground on her own power.”

Firefighters say she went into the drain to retrieve her grandmother’s apron that had blown away. Durand said crews were able to help get it back.

“I have been planning this for months,” said 19-year-old Kylee Rangel, of Wichita Falls, who showed up at the stadium parking lot just after 6 a.m. Friday, a full 13 hours before the show officially starts on Friday night.

Rangel was eager to get a new shirt to wear to the night’s concert to replace the one she was wearing Friday morning that read, “If I die, tell Taylor Swift I love her.”

TAYLOR SWIFT WEEKEND

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Hundreds of thousands of fans will pack AT&T Stadium over those three nights for what has been hyped as a three-hour show, featuring a whopping 44-song setlist of selections from all 10 of Swift’s studio albums.

“I physically cannot fathom how she kept going for three hours and kept that energy up,” said Ashley Claster, a DFW-area news reporter who, as a diehard Taylor Swift fan, recently traveled 48 hours by bus from Dallas to Glendale, Arizona for the opening shows of the Eras tour.

“But it was all worth it because the concert was probably one of the best nights of my life, and I have been to Taylor Swift concerts before,” said Claster. “I would do that bus ride over and over again. It was like a religious experience. It was like church for me, honestly.”

Claster is part of a fan-led movement called the Eras Taybow Project, which is trying to stripe the arenas on Taylor’s tour with a rainbow during her song ‘Enchanted’. A group of Texas-based Swift fans has created a website that allows concertgoers to find the concert they are attending, locate their seating area, and then display a color-coded screen on their phone that they are encouraged to hold up during ‘Enchanted.’

Hundreds of thousands of people will be in and out of the three stadiums in the Arlington Entertainment District over the weekend and traffic delays are expected. If you’re heading to one of the stadiums, here’s everything you need to know to get around, including what you can bring into the stadiums.

The world-famous singer is bringing her Eras tour to Arlington for three shows starting Friday night and running through Sunday night.

In honor of the shows, the city said they are ceremoniously renaming the street outside the stadium as Taylor Swift Way and tweeted photos of the sign being installed at the intersection of Randol Mill Road and Collins Street on Thursday afternoon.

That’s where the city is inviting fans to pose for photos with the sign with AT&T Stadium in the background.

The city hasn’t yet said what they plan to do with the sign after the Eras tour leaves Arlington for Tampa on Sunday night.

That’s not the only photo opportunity for Swifties, the city said. They are also bathing the four-story steel sculptures in front of City Hall in red light from Friday through Sunday. Arlington Mayor and Swiftie Jim Ross has declared the concert weekend Taylor Swift Weekend and plans to present her with a key to the city.

Elsewhere in Arlington, the city’s animal services department is holding an adoption special this weekend honoring the famous cat mom. Residents taking part in The Eras Adoption Special can take home a new best friend for $40 in honor of Swift’s 40 Top 10 Hits. VIP pets have a $9 adoption fee in honor of Swift’s nine No. 1 Hits. Click here for more details.

TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR COLLECTION

Later this summer, the Arlington Museum of Art will debut an exclusive exhibition focusing on the evolution of the icon’s artistic expression.

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Collection, presented by the HELP Center for LGBT Health, will open Saturday, June 3 and run through Sept. 24. Details are at the link.

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The team released the following ahead of their Opening Day game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The first pitch is at 3:05 p.m. at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Pitchers (13)
Brock Burke (L)
Jacob deGrom
Dane Dunning
Nathan Eovaldi
Jon Gray
Andrew Heaney (L)
Tayor Hearn (L)
Jonathan Hernández
Ian Kennedy
José Leclerc
Martín Pérez (L)
Cole Ragans (L)
Will Smith (L)

Catchers (2)
Mitch Garver
Jonah Heim

Infielders (6)
Ezequiel Duran
Josh Jung
Nathaniel Lowe
Corey Seager
Marcus Semien
Josh Smith

Outfielders (5)
Adolis García
Robbie Grossman
Travis Jankowski
Brad Miller
Bubba Thompson

TEXAS RANGERS OPENING DAY LINEUP

Below is the Texas Rangers’ starting lineup for Opening Day, March 30, 2023.

Marcus Semien (R) 2B
Corey Seager (L) SS
Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B
Adolis Garcia (R) CF
Josh Jung (R) 3B
Jonah Heim (S) C
Robbie Grossman (S) RF
Brad Miller (L) DH
Josh H. Smith (L) LF

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The team also put the following players on injured lists or moved them to Round Rock.

• OF Travis Jankowski and RHP Ian Kennedy contracts selected from Triple-A Round Rock.
• OF Leody Taveras was placed on 10-day Injured List, retroactively to March 27 (left oblique strain).
• RHP Spencer Howard was placed on 15-day Injured List, retroactively to March 27 (right lat strain).
• RHP Josh Sborz was placed on 15-day Injured List, retroactive to March 27 (left ankle sprain).
• RHP Jake Odorizzi was placed on 60-day Injured List (right rotator cuff strain).
• RHP Glenn Otto was placed on 60-day Injured List (right shoulder strain).
• LHP Brett Martin placed on 60-day Injured List (left shoulder surgery)

The first date Taveras would be eligible to be activated from the Injured List is April 6. The first date Howard and Sborz are eligible to be activated from the Injured List is April 11.

After Thursday’s game, the Rangers will be off Friday and will finish up the weekend with two more games against the Phillies at Globe Life Field. Fans are cautioned to expect extra traffic on Saturday and Sunday as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is playing next door at AT&T Stadium. Traffic info is here.

The Glass Slipper Boutique and the Junior League of Arlington are preparing for an event like no other, giving away hundreds of prom dresses and accessories.

They will donate a record number of free prom dresses this year.

JLA said the most they’ve ever given out is 60, but this year 250 girls have already signed up.

They have about 1,000 new or gently used dresses in inventory, and with enough dresses on hand, they plan to open the boutique to neighboring districts.

The big giveaway will take place on Friday and Saturday, and you must register for a time slot!

Mark your calendars for Friday, March 3, and Saturday, April 1 to shop the Glass Slipper Boutique, hosted by the Junior League of Arlington.

Take a moment to register here before the event.

Swift’s “Eras Tour” will play three consecutive nights at AT&T Stadium, starting Friday, March 31. Just down the street, the Rangers open their season Thursday at Globe Life Field, with games set for Saturday and Sunday.

So, Arlington Police are urging fans heading to any of the events to come up with a game plan. We’ve put together a day-by-day guide to events as well as answers to other questions you might have.

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SCHEDULE

Thursday

11 a.m.: Parking lots open for Rangers Opening Day.
12 p.m.: Gates open at Globe Life Field.
3:05 p.m.: First pitch.

Friday

2 p.m.: AT&T Stadium Parking lots open for Taylor Swift concert.
4:30 p.m.: Doors open at AT&T Stadium
6 p.m.: Arlington Renegades game begins at Choctaw Stadium.
6:30 p.m.:Taylor Swift concert begins.

Saturday

1 p.m.: Parking lots open for Rangers, gates open for season ticket holders.
1:30 p.m.: Gates open for all fans at Globe Life Field.
2 p.m.: AT&T Stadium Parking lots open for Taylor Swift concert.
3:05 p.m.: Rangers first pitch.
4:30 p.m.: Doors open at AT&T Stadium
6:30 p.m.: Taylor Swift concert begins.

Sunday

2 p.m.: AT&T Stadium Parking lots open for Taylor Swift concert.
3:30 p.m.: Parking lots open for Rangers.
4 p.m.: Gates open at Globe Life Field.
4:30 p.m.: Doors open at AT&T Stadium
6:08 p.m.: Rangers first pitch.
6:30 p.m.: Taylor Swift concert begins.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Arlington Police expect heavy traffic all four days, but fans heading to the stadiums Saturday or Sunday will likely see the most backups.

They recommend planning where you’ll park ahead of time, to make sure you take the most direct route.

Drivers may run into street closures or lane closures on their way in and out of the entertainment district.

PARKING

Taylor Swift fans can purchase parking in the AT&T Stadium lots. You have to pre-purchase and the Cowboys expect passes will sell out. Fans will also be able to pay to park in the Rangers’ non-reserved lots.

Rangers fans can purchase reserved parking in the Globe Life Field parking lots, as well as park in non-reserved lots.

People attending either event should be aware of special events parking restrictions in place Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in neighborhoods surrounding the stadiums. Any vehicles parked in a no-parking zone will be towed. Click here to see maps of the special event with no parking zones.

Some businesses around the stadiums do sell parking, and others farther out have shuttle services to take fans to the stadium for a fee.

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RIDESHARE & TAXIS

Taylor Swift concert-goers should expect high demand and potentially long waits for rideshare service over the weekend.

There will be a designated rideshare drop-off and pickup location at Lot 15, which is just west of AT&T Stadium on Randol Mill Road. Arlington Police encourage people to use this location to request rides after the event because road closures and congestion could keep your driver from reaching you in other areas around the stadium. Police say they will have extra officers on hand at that location to ensure fans waiting for rides feel safe.

Taxi dropoff and pick-up are located outside the gate to the West Plaza, near N. Collins Street and Cowboys Way.

Police say Rangers fans using rideshare services are encouraged to set their dropoff and pick-up locations to Chapman Cutoff, just east of Globe Life Field near Lot C.

DROPOFF AND PICK-UP

If you’re getting a ride to the concert with a friend or family member – or if you’re the lucky driver – there are designated spots to drop people off and pick people up.

Dropoffs can happen at two locations: Lot 1 off Randol Mill Road or Lot 6 along Cowboys Way.

Pickups will happen at a different spot: The entrance to the Miller LiteHouse on N. Collins Street and Cowboys Way, which is the same location as the taxi pickup.

AT&T STADIUM BAG POLICIES AND PROHIBITED ITEMS

AT&T Stadium’s website has a list of rules for what fans can and cannot bring with them to the stadium. On Monday, the stadium updated a ban on portable chargers to allow certain types to be brought inside. Here’s what fans should leave at home:

• No clothes or costumes that will block the view of concertgoers around you.
• No banners and/or poles.
• No signs larger than 11 in. x 17 in.
• No selfie sticks.
• No lights or battery packs, including lights and batteries on signs and clothing, as well as devices with removable batteries. Portable chargers that are sealed, like the kind many people use for cell phones, will be allowed if they fit within your bag.

AT&T Stadium also has strict restrictions on bags and purses, illustrated in the diagram below:

RANGERS BAG POLICY AND PROHIBITED ITEMS

Rangers fans bringing in bags cannot exceed the MLB bag-size restrictions of 16” x 16” x 8”. All backpacks are banned, with an exception for single-pocket drawstring bags.

Coolers of any kind cannot be taken into the stadium.

Fans are allowed to bring outside food if it is sealed into a clear quart-sized plastic bag. Sealed, non-flavored water in a plastic bottle smaller than 1 liter is also allowed. Fans are limited to one bag of food and one bottle of water per person.

Exceptions can be made for medical reasons.

It’s something North Texas police departments say they see often, but it came as a major surprise and disappointment to the buyer.

From the pictures, it’s a good-looking truck, a gray 2019 GMC pickup. The one Juan Ruiz wanted. The one he drove nine hours from El Paso to purchase on Sunday.

“Now we’re on our way back home,” his son Assael Ruiz said.

The younger Ruiz shared the buying experience and regret with NBC 5 while his father sat in the driver seat but not in the truck they bought just hours before.

“We’re sad and annoyed by how they robbed us – like it was nothing,” Ruiz said.

The Ruiz’s said they met a buyer over Facebook and drove from West Texas to a parking lot in Arlington on Sunday afternoon.

The seller provided a vehicle identification number and a Texas title that appeared legitimate.

Ruiz paid $34,000 in cash and drove the truck away. Assael Ruiz said his father immediately started second-guessing his purchase and went to the police.

White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook worked the investigation with the Tarrant Regional Auto Crimes Task Force and said he ran a check on the temporary license plate tag for the pickup and it came back belonging to a trailer.

Red flag number one.

“It had a Texas title that appeared pretty authentic,” Cook said.

However, when Cook entered the VIN into the Texas Department of Insurance, it was not registered in any state.

“If you run a VIN and there’s no record and it doesn’t match the sequencing of a typical GM product, yeah that’s a red flag,” Cook said. “This guy is out $34,000 cash. The likelihood of recovering that money is really slim.”

Cook added pickup truck thefts have increased in Texas in recent years with many stolen in one part of the state and sold in another.

Cook added the stolen pickup the Ruiz’s purchased on Sunday was a 2023 model stolen out of Houston in early February and then priced as 2019 to not arouse buyer suspicion.

The Ruiz’s hope sharing their story on their long drive back home will maybe protect another buyer.

“Right now he should be driving the truck but we’re in the same car we came in,” Assael Ruiz added.

Gloria Norman says she’s also frustrated at the slow action taken by the city.

The attack happened on Feb. 26, along Villanova Street in Arlington, according to police.

On Friday, March 24, Arlington Animal Services posted a letter on the door of the man who owns the dogs notifying him his two dogs, Rose and Jack, have been deemed ‘dangerous dogs’ after it was determined they ‘engaged in an unprovoked act which caused a person to reasonably believe that the dog(s) was going to attack and cause bodily injury.’

Norman says she saved the Yorkie named Coco from being put down by her previous owners 12 years ago and that Coco has been her constant companion ever since.

“She wasn’t just a pet, she was part of my family,” said Norman.

Norman says she had just returned home that Sunday evening after being away all weekend and wanted to take Coco for a walk.

Coco loved walks and quickly ran to the door.

Norman says she was walking down Villanova Street in her neighborhood when she noticed a man in an SUV driving by slowly.

She says the man drove away but came back around with his driver’s side door open.

She noticed two large dogs running behind his SUV when they suddenly saw her and Coco and darted toward them.

“They were jumping at my throat, trying to attack me,” she said. “They got [Coco] and they were tossing her around like she was a little feather. It was both of them, back and forth, back and forth. It was devastating.”

She says neither she nor the dogs’ owner, who walked over during the attack, could separate the dogs from Coco.

Police responded but did not charge the owner of the dogs with a crime, as police are quite limited by state laws that focus largely on dog attacks on humans, according to APD’s spokesman Tim Ciesco.

Norman was not seriously injured in the attack.

However, she says she fears walking around her neighborhood, even tending to her yard out of fear the dogs will get loose and attack her again.

“They’re still here,” she said.

Norman walked NBC 5 over to the house where she says the dogs live and are currently being kept in the garage.

NBC 5’s Maria Guerrero could hear two dogs barking inside. Norman says she hears the barking from her home.

“It just brings me back and it terrifies me,” she said.

No one answered the door Friday afternoon.

According to the determination by Arlington Animal Services, the dogs’ owners have 15 days to appeal and 30 days to come into compliance or surrender the dogs.

In order to come into compliance, the owner will have to complete several requirements including registering the dogs as ‘dangerous dogs’ with the city, and restraining them in a secure enclosure inspected and approved by animal services.

They must also obtain or continue liability insurance coverage to cover costs in case of any future attacks.

The city provided NBC 5 with information dog owners in Arlington need to know:

“We all need to practice responsible pet ownership and ensure our pets are (1) contained (by leash, fence, kennel, etc), (2) pets must be vaccinated according to state law for rabies, and (3) you can be held responsible, either civilly or criminally for your pet(s) actions.”

In cases that are animal-on-animal attacks, the victim/owner can file civilly, but if a person is attacked and injured there are more stringent consequences.

Loose animals, aggressive or not, can always be reported to Animal Services. The department will help residents navigate the direction in which to go if things are escalated, as with this instance.”

Still grieving the death of her ‘furbaby,’ Norman claims the city is not doing enough to enforce laws and should take dog-on-dog attacks more seriously, especially in neighborhoods with children and schools nearby.

“It’s going to take death for them to do something,” she said.

For more information on requirements for the owner in a Dangerous Dogs case click here.

On Monday, the Arlington Fire Department’s Special Operations Teams freed a man who was working in an underground water transmission line at the Pierce-Burch Water Treatment Plant. The line, a little more than 50 inches in diameter, was located near Lakewood Drive.

Capt. Eddie Saldivar with the Arlington Fire Department said the worker was sent to work on a maintenance project after some water built up in the pipe over the weekend. A plug, or bladder, is used to stop the back pressure and keep the pipe dry while it is being worked on.

“He had a catastrophic failure. The bladder actually shifted when he was down, into the manhole. Took him and pushed him up against his ladder that he was in the space with,” explained Capt. Saldivar.

The pipe is buried between 8 and 10 feet underground, according to Saldivar. The worker was trapped roughly 600 feet away from the manhole’s entry point.

“It was unknown what we were going to find. Was he trapped against the plug and the pipe? Was he trapped another way?” recalled Saldivar. “Everybody who was on scene knew the potential hazards.”

Lt. Mike Joiner was part of the team that trekked through the pipe to find and eventually the worker.

“We could hear him from a long way. He was in obviously a great deal of pain and distress,” Lt. Joiner said.

When they found him, they realized they needed tools to cut the ladder in order to free him.

“There was a sense of relief for him. He had obviously been in there for a while in pitch black,” he said.

Freeing the ladder came with a level of potential hazard, said Capt. Saldivar.

“If we were to cut the wrong thing, it could have freed the plug or the bladder causing all of that water that’s all back behind it to flood the pipe,” he said. “It already failed once. The potential for another failure was high, so time was definitely not on our side.”

The entire situation lasted for about two hours. Saldivar said it will be used for future training., as every call is a learning opportunity.

“Whether it’s a child, whether it’s a grown man. It gives us the ability to intervene much faster,” he said.

According to Arlington Fire officials, the worker was treated for non-life-threatening injuries including a broken arm and teeth.

Police said the victim, 55-year-old Khudhair Hamdan, was helping relatives show the vehicle to the would-be buyers who arranged to see the car on social media.

The vehicle was found abandoned behind a busy shopping center at the corner of Matlock Road and Sublett Road where surveillance video captured images of the men.

Business people at the shopping center Thursday said they were shocked by the details of the crime.

“It’s sad man, but it’s also scary. It’s a nice area; upstanding people around. Something like this happens it’s kind of terrifying,” said Al’Rasha Waits, who owns a barber shop at the shopping center.

The crime played out within two miles along Sublett Road at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. The test drive began at Hamdan’s home on Colson Drive.

Arlington Police Officer Jesse Minton, a department spokesman, said he found the way the would-be buyers appeared to be suspicious.

“The guys got dropped off at the location. Normally if you were going to do a test drive you would drive up in your own car,” Minton said.

Gunfire was heard by neighbors soon afterward on nearby Port Richmond Way, where police said the victim was pushed out of the car.

“Some residents nearby, heard the shot, saw what happened, ran to his aide as he collapsed there in the street by their home. Unfortunately, we had EMS respond right away, but unfortunately, he died later at the hospital,” Minton said.

Relatives of the victim asked for privacy Thursday.

“It’s the last thing on your mind you’d think someone is going to come and take your life over a vehicle,” Waits said.

For safety, Minton said people should conduct sales arranged online with unknown customers in public places like police stations or other well-lit areas and not at private homes.

“Maybe they would disappear and not even show up if they have criminal intent I mind,” Minton said.

Minton said police do not know what happened in the car during the test drive to cause the violence. The victim was not believed to be carrying a large sum of cash and Minton said police are not aware of any great value the suspects obtained from the crime after ditching the stolen car.

A $10,000 reward has been offered for an arrest.

Businessman Waits said he is considering additional security for his shop after what happened in his neighborhood.

“Sad man. I feel bad for the family,” he said.

People with tips are asked to call Arlington Detective Simmons at 817-459-5735.

Anonymous tips can be shared with Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477.

Police said the suspects are considered armed and dangerous and anyone who sees them should call 911.

“As many of you know, for years I have been an advocate for those with mental health issues. I now find myself dealing with anxiety, insomnia and depression which are currently preventing me from doing the job I love,” Nadel said in a statement released by the team. “So, I regret to say I will not be in the broadcast booth when the season starts.”

The 71-year-old Nadel said he was receiving treatment as he goes through the healing process and encouraged others with similar issues to reach out for help.

There was no timetable given for his return.

Nadel has been part of Rangers broadcasts for 44 years. He called games on television and radio from 1979-81 before teaming up with Mark Holtz on the radio in 1982. Except for doing television during the 1984 season, Nadel has been on the radio since and became the main play-by-play voice in 1995 after Holtz moved to the TV booth.

Only two current MLB broadcasters have been with their teams longer. Denny Matthews has been a part of Kansas City Royals broadcasts since the team’s inception in 1969, and Bob Uecker has been with the Milwaukee Brewers since 1971.

Nadel in 2014 received the Ford C. Frick Award presented annually for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He is also in the team’s hall of fame.

Nadel said he was “tremendously grateful” to his radio partners Matt Hicks and Jared Sandler, who will handle broadcasts like they do when Nadel gets days off during the season. Nadel said Rangers management has been wonderful to him.

“I thank them for their concern, kindness and understanding,” he said. “Rangers fans have always given me tremendous support, and I ask for their continued support at this time and in the future.”

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Before sunrise Wednesday it was a nervous walk to school for many students. Victoria Crow asked her mother to walk with her, worried something bad would happen again.

“I feel sad and mixed emotions about everything,” said Crow.

Heavy security surrounded campus two days after a classmate shot and killed 16-year-old Ja’Shawn Poirier. Police still do not have a motive.

“Who says it’s not going to happen again today? Or the other day? Or Monday or next week? It’s kind of scary,” said student Aiden Leivo said.

Poirier’s mother shared her grief on Facebook, writing in a post alongside a photo of her son, “So lost and crushed… I can’t believe you’re gone… You didn’t deserve this.”

Arlington ISD Mar 22

Classes Resume After Shooting at Lamar High School

Arlington Mar 22

Arlington's Lamar High School Students Return to Class After Shooting on Monday

Arlington Mar 22

Lamar High School Students Return to Class After Fatal Shooting

Blessed Sacrament Church, which is located next to campus, held a prayer vigil on Tuesday. A mass and rosary is planned for Wednesday night.

Church leader Renee Alarcon is mother to a freshman. Her son often shared the same lunch table with Poirier.

Like so many parents, she worried about her son’s return to campus.

ARLINGTON

Arlington Mar 21

Arlington Remembers, Mourns Loss of Lamar High School Student at Vigil

Arlington Mar 20

Tearful Reunions for Parents and Students After Shooting at Arlington's Lamar High School

Arlington Mar 20

Student Killed in Shooting Outside Lamar High School

“My thought was if I take him out of Lamar or move him out of Arlington, where am I going to move him? They’re having these issues all over the country,” Alarcon said.

She’s praying for Poirier’s family and all those affected by the tragedy and hopes students will find strength in ongoing conversations and community.

“That’s where you look for your hope,” Alarcon said. “That’s where you know you keep going.”

According to police, officers were called to the 700 block of Port Richmond Way at about 6 p.m. after residents in the neighborhood reported finding an unresponsive man lying on the road.

Police said the man had been shot and that he was transported to a nearby hospital where he died of his injuries. The man was later identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office as 55-year-old Khudhair Hamdan.

Hamdan, police said, was helping a family member sell a used car and had agreed to go on a test drive with a potential buyer.

Citing surveillance video and witness accounts, police said two young men arrived at Hamdan’s home for the test drive Tuesday night and that he joined them on the ride.

Police said they believe that while on Port Richmond Way, one of the two men apparently shot Hamdan who then got out of the vehicle and collapsed.

The two men then drove less than a mile away and abandoned the car behind a shopping center at Matlock and Sublett roads, that’s where detectives with the Arlington Police said surveillance video showed the two men walking away from the vehicle.

Detectives shared photographs Wednesday taken from that surveillance video with the hope that someone who recognized them would come forward and share their identities.

The Arlington Police Department asks that anyone with information about the shooting or who recognizes either of the two men to please call Detective Simmons at 817-459-5735. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County at 817-469-8477 and they could be eligible for a reward.

Anyone who knows or sees either of the two men is warned to not approach them and to call 911 immediately. Both men are to be considered armed and dangerous.

Lastly, the Arlington Police Department said anyone buying or selling items in a digital marketplace is welcomed and encouraged to make exchanges in designated safe zones at each of our four police patrol stations.

On Tuesday, the medical examiner’s office positively identified the victim as 16-year-old Ja’Shawn James Poirier, of Grand Prairie.

Police said Monday afternoon that the victim was sitting near the steps outside of the high school just before 7 a.m. when a classmate approached him with a gun and opened fire. Poirier was taken by ground ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth where he died at about 8:40 a.m.

On Tuesday, Arlington Police confirmed to NBC 5 the accused shooter was carrying a shotgun and that shells were found in his backpack when he was taken into custody.

According to the medical examiner’s report, Poirier’s cause of death was shotgun wounds to his head and chest.

A juvenile girl who was near Poirier at the time of the shooting was grazed by the shot or flying debris. She was treated and released from the hospital on Monday.

Poirier’s cousin released his name earlier in the day when he shared an online fundraiser accepting donations to help cover the cost of the teenager’s memorial service.

The victim’s cousin described the teen as someone who made friends easily and said he loved spending time with his family, playing video games and going to sporting events.

Arlington Police are continuing to investigate the shooting and have not yet confirmed a motive.

The classmate accused of killing Poirier is a juvenile, identified only as a 15-year-old male. Arlington Police said Monday that the suspect has been charged with capital murder. If convicted of capital murder, a juvenile can be sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison, according to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

There are two vigils planned for Tuesday evening to try and help the community heal.

Most Blessed Sacrament Church welcomed the public for a prayer vigil at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. The church is located across the street from Lamar High.

SCHOOL SECURITY

“Anxiety and anxiousness is very normal after a situation like this,” said AISD Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavasos.

The district leader wants to assure students, staff and parents they can expect increased security measures Wednesday and for weeks to come.

“We have security, we have principals, teachers that are focused on receiving the students with counseling support, with discussion in classrooms to make sure that questions are answered and some of those feelings are processed as well,” he said.

There are ongoing questions about police presence on campus following the early morning shooting.

While classes begin at 7:35, the victims and other students were outside the school building by 7 a.m. on Monday.

The school’s resource officers were on their way to begin their 7 a.m. shifts when shots rang out, according to police.

NBC 5 asked Cavasos if the district will ask for officers to begin their shifts earlier.

“We’re evaluating that. I can tell you that there’s a lot of patrols around our school by the Arlington Police Department as seen yesterday when patrol actually intervened in this situation because they were nearby,” Cavasos said.

It was a patrol officer, police say, who caught the shooter running from the scene.

ARLINGTON LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING

Arlington Mar 21

Boy, 15, Accused of Using Long Gun in Deadly Arlington Lamar HS Shooting

Arlington Mar 20

Student Killed in Shooting Outside Lamar High School

Arlington Mar 20

Student Killed in Shooting at Lamar HS; Classmate Charged With Capital Murder

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office and family members of 16-year-old Ja’Shawn Poirier identified him as the victim in Monday’s shooting outside the high school. The ME said Poirier had been shot in the head and chest with a shotgun.

The unnamed teen faces a capital murder charge in Poirier’s death along with additional charges possible pending the outcome of the investigation, Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said Monday. The suspect’s name has not been made public because he is a minor.

The teen was ordered to remain in detention on Tuesday after a hearing in state District Judge Alex Kim’s court, his defense team said. He will have another detention hearing every 10 days, as required by law.

The teen is being represented by defense attorney Lisa Herrick, a partner at Varghese Summersett. In a statement, the firm described Herrick as an expert in juvenile law and complex criminal cases involving minors and young adults.

“I had the opportunity to meet with this child first thing this morning,” Herrick said in a statement Tuesday. “He has never been involved in the juvenile justice system and is understandably emotional. This is a truly tragic case, but one in which we ask you to reserve judgment until we are able to reveal all of the facts and circumstances.”

ARLINGTON LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING

Arlington Mar 21

Boy Fatally Shot Outside Arlington Lamar HS Identified by Family, Medical Examiner

Arlington Mar 20

Student Killed in Shooting at Lamar HS; Classmate Charged With Capital Murder

Arlington Mar 20

Tearful Reunions for Parents and Students After Shooting at Arlington's Lamar High School

Herrick is certified in juvenile law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is one of only two attorneys in Tarrant County and 70 in the state who hold the designation, the law firm said.

The shooting began at about 6:55 a.m., before many students arrived for the first day back to classes after the spring break, according to police and school district officials.

Jones said Monday that in addition to the boy who was killed, a juvenile girl was also treated after being “grazed” in the shooting. Jones declined to give their ages or grades.

Arlington Police said they’re still investigating a motive for the shooting and how the teen got the gun, which they confirmed to NBC 5 on Tuesday afternoon was a shotgun. Police also confirmed shotgun shells were found in the suspect’s backpack.

A juvenile convicted of capital murder would face a maximum of 40 years in prison, according to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

Arlington Fire-Rescue crews were called to the facility at 1901 Lakewood Drive near Lake Arlington at approximately 9 a.m.

Officials said the worker was trapped 75 feet down inside a large pipe at the water treatment plant.

NBC 5’s Texas Sky Ranger flew over the facility at about 9:30 a.m. and spotted crews working to free the individual from the pipe.

After extracting the person from the pipe, the person was then loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher.

Additional information about the worker’s condition is unknown at this time.

Check back and refresh this article for the latest update.

A student is in custody and facing a capital murder charge after police say he fatally shot a classmate and injured another outside Lamar High School in Arlington Monday morning.

Classes and extracurricular activities have been canceled for Lamar students through Tuesday, the Arlington Independent School District said. Counselors will be at the school Wednesday and will be available to students and staff as long as they’re needed.

The AISD and police said the on-campus shooting occurred outside of the school on the 1400 block of W. Lamar Boulevard at about 6:55 a.m., about 40 minutes before classes began and about five minutes before two school resources officers with the Arlington Police Department arrived for the day.

Jesse Minton, with the Arlington Police, said one of the students injured was a juvenile male who was critically wounded and was taken to an area hospital by ground ambulance. Arlington Chief of Police Al Jones and AISD Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos announced during a news conference Monday afternoon that the injured student died of his injuries. The student’s name has not been released.

“It is with great sadness that I announce that the student has died from his injuries,” Jones said. “I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the victims and to all of the students and staff at Lamar High School. Our hearts are with them.”

Arlington Mar 20

Arlington Lamar High School Community Mourns After Shooting Leaves One Student Dead

Arlington Mar 20

Tearful Reunions for Parents and Students After Shooting at Arlington's Lamar High School

Arlington Mar 20

Student Killed in Shooting Outside Lamar High School

The other injured student, Minton said, was a juvenile female who suffered injuries to her cheek after being grazed by a bullet or hit by flying debris.

No other reports of injuries have been received.

Jones said there is at least one video recording of the shooting and that the slain teen and injured girl were sitting outside, near the steps, waiting for the school to open when they were apparently targeted. A motive for the shooting has not been confirmed by police but is part of the ongoing investigation.

According to police, a Lamar student was taken into custody in connection with the shooting, and a weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered. That student, who is a juvenile and has not been named, is facing a capital murder charge and is being held at the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center. Additional charges are pending, police said.

Jones said the student ran from the school after the shooting and never entered the building. He said witnesses who called 911 provided police with a description of the gunman and that he was surrounded by police a short time later and taken into custody without incident.

“Their response was swift. The scene was secure in minutes,” Jones said. “I’m extremely proud of the job that everyone did today.”

Jones did not reveal any information Monday about the weapon or say where it came from, citing the ongoing investigation, but did say police and school officials need help from the community when it comes to gun safety and keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of children.

“We need our community’s help to ensure that guns do not end up on school campuses. We need gun owners to step up, to be responsible and ensure that they are properly securing their firearms so kids don’t have access to them. That means using gun safes, gun locks and not leaving the guns unsecured in cars or other places where kids can get them,” Jones said.

Lamar Principal Andrew Hagman said he was “very, very proud” of the students for how quickly they reacted and that he was grateful that they followed instructions from staff to get inside the building and that more people weren’t hurt.

“Unfathomable remorse. To think that a young life was lost in such a senseless fashion. It’s incredible and it’s incredible when it happens right at your doorstep,” Hagman said. “I’m still numb, but thankful that more kids were not hurt and staff were not hurt. My heart goes out to the young man’s family.”

After staff ushered students into the building, the campus was locked down while police investigated the shooting.

“This occurred before the school opens normally, at about 7:35 a.m., so luckily enough we don’t have a full school to deal with, but as is our procedure we immediately locked the school down and searched every part of the school to make sure there were no other shooters, no other weapons and to make sure no one else was injured,” said Minton.

After the lockdown was lifted late Monday morning, students were bussed to a reunification center at the district’s multipurpose athletic center at 1001 E. Division Street where they were later released. The district said all Lamar students who were inside the school were taken to the reunification center regardless of how they arrived on campus Monday morning.

Monday was the first day back in class for students in the Arlington ISD after being off for spring break last week. Classes begin at the high school at 7:35 a.m., the district said, and not all students were back on campus when the shooting occurred.

Arlington Mar 20

2 Students Shot, 1 Arrested at Lamar High School

Arlington police Mar 20

Police Confirm Shooting at Lamar High School

Arlington Mar 20

Two Injured During Shooting at Lamar High School

Ali Ismail, 36, pulled into his driveway on the 1400 block of Prentice Street before dawn on Valentine’s Day and was shot and killed by an unknown person.

Ismail was a father of six children and his wife is expecting their seventh child.

In the early days of the investigation, detectives investigating Ismail’s murder shared a video recorded on surveillance cameras that they said showed two people attempting to break into cars in Ismail’s neighborhood shortly before he arrived home.

A video also showed one of the individuals walking up to a car parked in Ismail’s driveway. Less than a minute later, he arrived home from his overnight shift and was immediately met by gunfire, police said.

Police said the two people who were in Ismail’s driveway are believed to have run east on Prentice Street after the shooting. After that, police have not said where the pair is believed to have gone and they’ve not uncovered their identities.

“In the weeks since, homicide detectives have worked tirelessly to identify the suspects. But at this point, investigative leads have been exhausted, no additional tips are coming in, and the suspects remain at large,” police said in a statement.

On Friday afternoon, Arlington Police are expected to share details about their efforts to solve Ismail’s murder as they, and the family, renew a plea for help from the public in the case.

“We want justice for our brother. Six kids, with one on the way,” Osman Salat said after Ismail’s funeral last month. “He has a lot of friends. You can see how many people came out. Somebody who was very visible in the community. We wanted to remember him.”

Police previously asked homeowners in the area to check their home surveillance systems to see if they have any footage that may help with the case. Meanwhile, Oak Farms Dairy in Dallas offered $10,000 to anyone providing information that leads to an arrest and successful prosecution in the case.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Hall with the Arlington Police Department at 817-459-5325.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Ismail’s family with expenses.

Arlington Feb 16

Funeral Services Held for Arlington Man Shot, Killed After Returning Home From Work

Arlington Feb 15

Arlington Police Release Video of Men They Say Killed a Man Returning Home From Work

“If you want floor seats to the Taylor Swift show, you’re going to pay probably well over $1,000 per ticket,” The Chick Mission CEO and Founder Amanda Rice said. “It’s wild!”

The Chick Mission is raffling two tickets on the floor level to Taylor Swift’s concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on March 31. The money raised goes to “Hope Grants,” which help pay for women who have been diagnosed with cancer to preserve their fertility before undergoing chemotherapy. Egg freezing treatments cost about $20,000.

“Most people are surprised when they find out that health insurance will not cover this procedure before you go into treatment to save your life,” The Chick Mission Executive Director Tracy Weiss said.

Both Weiss and Rice are cancer survivors who are on a mission to help women of child-bearing age who face cancer have options for a future family.

“Insurance companies don’t just cover fertility preservation because it’s the right thing to do,” Rice said. “We need to work on advocacy efforts; change state laws around this topic.”

Right now, 11 states require insurance companies to cover fertility preservation for patients who have diseases that may compromise their future fertility. Texas lawmakers are considering a bill.

We want to help patients in their toughest time to come out stronger and healthier and happier down the line,” Rice said. “And create future families because of what we put out there in the universe.”

So far, The Chick Mission has awarded 360 Hope Grants nationwide, 44 of those in Texas. Four babies have been born as a result of those Hope Grants.

The Chick Mission Taylor Swift tickets raffle winner will be announced on March 14. If the winner is out of the area, Southwest Airlines is providing two roundtrip tickets.

The American Muslim Cultural Celebration will take place Saturday, March 4 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion in Downtown Arlington. Admission is free.

Open to the entire community, the family-friendly event will feature live entertainment and marketplace shopping for art, fashion, and international cuisine. It will also feature a lineup of music artists and cultural performances like dancing, musical instruments, a robotics presentation.

There will also be a Quran recitation and Asr prayer (Islamic afternoon prayer). Special guest speakers slated to appear are Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, State Representative Salman Bhojani, and Dr. Omar Suleiman, an internationally-noted scholar, author, and civil rights leader.  

A portion of the fundraising proceeds will be donated to US-based humanitarian aid for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. The event is made possible by support from Zio Al’s Pizza & Pasta, Just 7 Lube & Auto Repair, and other local supporters.

Yaman Subei, who is co-chairing the celebration with Arlington Muslim Advisory Council members Sam Mahrouq and Walid Joulani, said the council created the event to bring together people from all communities, particularly those who may have had limited opportunities to interact with Muslim cultures.

“American Muslims have played a significant role in the community by operating small and large businesses, employing and supporting many families,” said Subei, who is also chair of the Arlington Muslim Advisory Council.

“For us, the American Dream is real! We often lead in our professions as doctors, counselors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, etc. We are engaged in education and support the community with our donations and in-kind contributions, but we mostly do it under a hidden identity,” he added. “Unfortunately, we are mostly known to the mass public for a false image extreme radicals have portrayed through media. I hope with this event, we can open up to the greater community, so people get to know us. That’s one of the reasons Mayor Ross created the council— to give an elevated voice and a seat at the table for Muslim community members in Arlington—and we appreciate that.”

Subei said the upcoming celebration is a first for Arlington.

“In fact, we’re not aware of any public event in Dallas-Fort Worth that offers this kind of opportunity for non-Muslim community members to experience and enjoy Muslim culture first hand,” he said. “The event volunteers are planning an exciting showcase and celebration of secular and religious Muslim culture, including amazing cuisine, memorable cultural performances, and inspirational and insightful remarks from our guest speakers. We invite all members of the public to join us at the beautiful Levitt Pavilion for what’s sure to be a wonderful event.”

Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Food and drink will be available for purchase on site, but coolers are also permitted. No glass containers or alcoholic beverages are allowed.

Parking is free and available on all sides of the Levitt and in public parking lots around downtown. Click here for a map.

“The Levitt continually fosters culturally rich programming, which is why we jumped at the opportunity to sponsor this celebration of the wonderful multicultural tapestry that makes Arlington unique,” said Letatia Teykl, executive director for Levitt Arlington. “We’re looking forward to welcoming guests for this and other community events and genre-diverse concerts during the 2023 season.”

To learn more, visit levittpavilionarlington.org/events.

This year, the city’s goal is the expand its operating hours at all city aquatics locations, but the city has to overcome a lifeguard shortage that required them to cut operating hours by nearly 50% at three of their five outdoor pools last summer by securing enough lifeguards to comply with safety standards.

The city is hoping to hire close to 120 seasonal employees for this summer ranging from pool managers, lifeguards, water safety instructors and cashiers to operate all facilities.

“Our intent is to be fully staffed and operational so that we can provide a much-needed aquatics experience for the community,” said Courtni Anderson, City of Arlington aquatics manager. “We know that our community pools play an important role in the quality of life for our residents, especially during our hot Texas months. We are thinking outside the box with staff recruitment and ensuring that we are going the distance to provide safe and fun pools all summer long.”

To attract people to the positions, the city said they are increasing starting pay and will cover the cost of training, certifications, uniforms and equipment.

• Increased starting pay for lifeguards to $15 an hour
• Increased starting pay for cashiers to $10.50 an hour
• Provides cost of training and certifications
• Provides cost of all uniforms and equipment

Applicants do have to meet certain requirements in order to become a lifeguard. The requirements include:

• Must be age 15 and over
• Swim 300 yards nonstop; this is not a timed swim
• Tread water for two minutes
• Retrieve a 10-pound brick from the 12-foot-deep well. Return to the surface and swim 20 yards back to the starting point

Click here to visit the Arlington Parks & Recreation seasonal positions webpage to apply online.

According to the Arlington Police Department, officers were called to a crash on southbound U.S. Highway 287 near Little Road just after 7 a.m.

Witnesses told police the driver of a Subaru Outback was in the left lane when the car suddenly veered across the highway and left the roadway. The vehicle then crashed into a metal sign and rolled over.

The driver of the vehicle was identified by the sheriff’s department as 34-year-old Tarrant County Jail Detention Cpl. Aron Iseman who had been with the department since 2018. Iseman was the only occupant of the car and no other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Iseman, police said, had to be extricated from the vehicle by first responders. Once freed from the vehicle, officials said he was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth where he was pronounced deceased at 8:39 a.m.

“The Arlington Police Department sends its heartfelt condolences to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the employee’s family and friends,” the department said in a statement Friday.

It’s unclear whether a medical issue or something mechanical with his vehicle caused Iseman to go off the road. His cause of death will be determined by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Arlington Police, meanwhile, are continuing to investigate the crash.

According to a statement by Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, all flags in Tarrant County have been ordered lowered to half-staff.

Arlington Police said they were called to a single-vehicle crash along the 500 block of E. Debbie Lane where a man was thrown from his bike.

When officers arrived, they found the motorcycle rider lying in the street. The man, identified by police only as a 30-year-old male, died at the scene. Police said his name will be released after his family is notified of his death.

Arlington Police believe that the man lost control of his 2018 Can-Am Spyder while headed eastbound along Debbie Lane and was thrown off the motorcycle when he lost control of the trike and it left the roadway. Police said the man was not wearing a helmet.

Police said speed may have been a factor in the crash and that the rider may have been doing donuts in a nearby intersection shortly before the crash.

No other injuries were reported.

During a speech to the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Republican governor said he’s working with lawmakers to reduce property taxes long-term and that his goal is to eliminate the taxes paid for school districts by property owners.

Abbott said the state would pay that part of the tax bill down the road and that it would be a significant cost saving to homeowners, reducing their annual property tax obligation by two-thirds or three-fourths.

The governor said the state would add money to the Property Tax Reduction Fund each session and that he wants to use that money to buy down the school component part of the property tax obligation owed by property owners with the goal being to eventually eliminate the tax altogether.

Abbott said other strategies to reduce property taxes in the state are also being considered.

Abbott also said the state legislature would leave the current session with new tools for economic development that would replace Chapter 313, the expired tax incentive that offered new businesses in the state a limitation on their appraised property value for 10 years.

Speaking of the need for economic development tools, the governor said Texas was recently a finalist for a Micron semiconductor manufacturing facility but lost to New York because the benefits package offered by New York was billions better than what Texas could offer.

Abbott was joined Wednesday by Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce Chairman Dr. Kenyon Godwin, and Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Michael Jacobson.

But not in the way you might think.

Ryan Nelson of Lewisville and Shawn Alexander of Arlington beat out thousands of people to be part of the 93 finalists across the entire country in a garbage truck rodeo competition.

The Republic Services ROAD-EO National Championship is happening Tuesday in Phoenix, Ariz. The event celebrates the men and women in an often thankless profession.

It’s also an opportunity for employees to demonstrate their expert skills and is the company’s largest employee engagement event.

Drivers battle an obstacle course, which requires maneuvers like weaving through barriers in forward and backward directions, parallel parking, and alley parking, among others.

Heavy equipment operators are challenged with maneuvering through each station without disturbing soil or striking any barrels. Their tasks include forward and backward driving, picking up and dumping materials, a 360-degree reverse turn, and pushing barrels between barriers.

Maintenance technicians are assigned either a collection or post-collection vehicles like a garbage truck or bulldozer. They are given just 10 minutes to identify 10 different problems on the vehicle.

Both North Texans will compete in the technician phase. Nelson is a collection technician and Alexander is a post-collection technician.

“I’m going to do my best. I work hard and do my best every day. And I hope that my best will help me win,” said Nelson.

This year’s finalists represent the top 0.4% of Republic Services’ more than 40,000 drivers, operators, and technicians.

“Getting to go to Phoenix to me, is a move up. It’s like oh yeah, I’m getting to do something,” said Alexander about his hard work to make the finals.

To qualify, both technicians competed on a local and regional level before moving on to the final phase. First, second, and third-place winners of the ROAD-EO National Championship receive thousands of dollars in cash prizes and paid time off.

Even if they don’t win, the trip itself is a treat for these hard workers. Competitors get an expense-paid trip to Phoenix, pay for their time away, luxury accommodations, hosted dinners, and more.

Best of luck to Ryan and Shawn!

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Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington and Epic Waters indoor water park in Grand Prairie are both adding a new ride to their attractions.

The newest addition to Six Flags Over Texas will be the highly anticipated, Aquaman: Power Wave. The DC-themed water coaster will be the 14th ride in the theme park and spans over 700 feet of track, accelerating riders to 63 MPH. The Aquaman: Power Wave is set to open on March 11.

In case that’s not exciting enough, Epic Waters Indoor Park’s newest ride is the Locura Water Slide. Standing at over 70 feet tall, the ride will feature a 40-foot drop and have riders reach a speed of 35 MPH.

The Locura Water Slide will be open to the public on Feb. 25.

Both rides have a height requirement of 48 inches tall or taller to ride. Locura Water Slide has a weight requirement of 99 lbs. and a maximum of 300 lbs.

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“You’re an inspiration! I love you, man,” one passer-by said as Ford pumped his fists and bobbed his head to music only he can hear through his earbuds. “I listen to Taylor Swift,” Ford said.

Taylor Swift is in heavy rotation on Ford’s playlist.

“Taylor Swift, I just like all her songs,” Ford said. “I can’t name one song I don’t like.”

“It feels good every day ’cause I’m doing something positive,” Ford said, smiling ear-to-ear. “They’re like, ‘why is he so happy? Why is he dancing? Why is he happy?'”

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One of the regular commuters who pass by Ford has befriended him. Marci Munguia wanted to do something nice for the young man who brightens so many days with his effervescent smile and joyful dancing.

“I don’t know where he gets the energy, but he loves getting up in the morning and making people smile,” Munguia said. “He’s a big ‘Swifty.’ He loves Taylor Swift. He told me she was coming to concert here soon and that he’d love to be there, and so I decided to see what I could do.”

Munguia posted it on her NextDoor account and social media, and Ford’s mother set up a GoFundMe account, and the donations rolled in. Now Ford has enough money to get a ticket to see Taylor Swift perform.

“I’m showing people how to be happy, you know, and I feel fortunate for everything that’s coming around,” Ford said. “I just feel blessed every single day!”

Taylor Swift will perform at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for three nights, starting March 31.

You can follow Jaylan Ford on social media here.

Ismail was shot and killed outside his home on Prentice Street at about 5 a.m. Tuesday morning. According to Arlington Police, the 36-year-old was returning home from work when he was shot multiple times.

“He helped anyone who needed it,” his cousin said Thursday. “His heart was pure. He was a good man.”

Surveillance video released by Arlington Police this week shows two suspects who are believed to be involved with the shooting. The two are seen on video walking along the 1400 block of Prentice Street in South Arlington. Police said one of them shot Ismail after trying to burglarize cars in the neighborhood.

Prayer services were held at the Islamic Center of Irving as part of the funeral.

“This brother. My brother was gunned down in his driveway,” Imam Saeed Purcell said Thursday. “There is no justification for that. There is no argument. There is no dispute that justifies that. Are we a country of laws? Or are we a country of brigands? Of criminals? Of anarchy?”

The prayer service Thursday was well-attended, with Ismail’s family traveling to North Texas from Minnesota. Osman Salat said the community is grieving with Ismail’s family.

“We want justice for our brother. Six kids, with one on the way,” Salat said. “He has a lot of friends. You can see how many people came out. Somebody who was very visible in the community. We wanted to remember him.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Ismail’s family with expenses.

Police in Arlington are asking homeowners in the area to check their home surveillance systems to see if they have any footage from early Tuesday morning that may help with the case.

On Thursday, police said Oak Farms Dairy was offering $10,000 to anyone providing information that leads to an arrest and successful prosecution in the case.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Det. Hall at 817-459-5325.

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Police said the video shows two people walking through Ali Ismail’s southeast Arlington neighborhood before the shooting took place.

Officials said the video is grainy and doesn’t offer a clear view of the two men’s faces, but that it was the best they’ve found so far.

Detectives were also able to obtain surveillance video taken at about 2:30 a.m., about two and a half hours before the shooting, in a different neighborhood showing a man trying to get into cars. Police said they could not say if he was involved in the shooting but they did say he was a person of interest and that they would still like to speak with him.

Arlington Police stress the investigation into Ismail’s murder is ongoing and they ask homeowners who live in the area, particularly east of Prentice Drive, to check their video surveillance systems and see if they have footage of anything unusual from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Should anyone have a video to share or if they recognize any of the men in the videos they are asked to call Detective Hall at 817-459-5325. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County at 817-469-8477.

On Thursday, Oak Farms Dairy in Dallas offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the suspects.