Students, parents voice concerns at community meeting about Wilmer Hutchins High School shooting

DALLAS - A Dallas ISD trustee held a public meeting Tuesday night for families concerned about last week’s school shooting at Wilmer Hutchins High School.

Police say 17-year-old Ja’Kerian Rhodes-Ewing shot another student in the leg while in class this past Friday.

Wilmer-Hutchins High School shooting suspect brought 38-revolver handgun to campus: arrest affidavit

A teacher intervened to get the suspect away and moved to the football field. That’s where police arrested the suspect 30 minutes later.

Frustrated parents and students voiced their concerns at a Tuesday night community meeting at New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in West Dallas. It was hosted by Dallas ISD Trustee Maxie Johnson. They say the suspect should have never been able to come into the school with a gun.\

"How can a kid just walk gradually with the gun into the building into a classroom and shoot another student?" asked Mar Butler, CEO and founder of TREE Leadership.

They got no answers. 

School district officials were on hand, but they said they would only listen to concerns and not answer questions. That brought some irritation from some in the audience.

State Rep. Venton Jones (D-Dallas) said the problem is just guns in our neighborhood.

"Until the biggest conversation we need to have is how people in our communities, how our children are getting access to weapons," he said.

The high school has metal detectors and Dallas ISD has a new policy that requires students to have clear backpacks.

Students were seen walking out of class Monday afternoon to call for a change. Some of those students carried signs demanding an end to gun violence.