*Two families are sharing two different viewpoints on what happened at Timberview High School in Arlington.
The Timberview High School student accused of opening fire inside the school on Wednesday, injuring four people and then fleeing before being taken into custody hours later, was released on bond from the Tarrant County Jail Thursday afternoon.
Timothy George Simpkins, the 18-year-old student who faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the school shooting on Wednesday, was released hours later after paying a $75,000 bond. His family said in a press briefing that he had been the victim of bullying at school.
Meanwhile, the classmate he’s accused of shooting, 15-year-old Zacchaeus Selby, is still in the ICU. His family says he was shot four times. Once in the chest, stomach, arm and leg.
“The victim is laying in the hospital trauma unit,” Selby’s grandmother told NBC 5.
Police say the shooting happened moments after a fight between Selby and Simpkins broke out in class at Timberview High School. Simpkins is the one in the video being beaten. According to the arrest affidavit, once the fight was broken up, witnesses saw Simpkins retrieve a black firearm from a backpack, point the firearm at Selby, and shoot.
Hours later, Simpkins turned himself in to the police.
“The decision that he made taking the gun, we’re not justifying. That was not right but he was trying to protect himself,” said Carol Harrison-Lafayette, a family member of Simpkins.
Selby’s grandmother told NBC 5 she doesn’t believe the shooting was an act of self-defense.
“[Simpkins] family is trying to make it sound like he’s the victim,” she said. “[Selby] is the victim.”
Watch below:
She said Selby remains in critical condition on a ventilator and in a medically-induced coma. He’s scheduled to undergo two additional surgeries Friday.
A 25-year-old teacher remains hospitalized in good condition. A third victim was treated and released Wednesday.
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