-
Screen capture of a tiktok where a student is shown holding a gun on the BISD campus.
Three suspects were arrested at the Beaumont United High School campus on Thursday, Oct. 21, after gunplay in the surrounding neighborhood led Beaumont police to the school in foot pursuit of suspects seen running to take refuge in the classes of BU. The incident occurred just after 9 a.m., according to a release from the Beaumont Independent School District.
“While responding to the power outage, Beaumont United administrators were notified by the Beaumont Police Department of an unrelated incident involving a student possibly being in possession of a firearm on campus,” the release stated. “Campus administration immediately locked down the facility and worked with law enforcement to apprehend the students involved. No shots were fired on campus and no students or staff were injured.”
In a student-produced TikTok video of one of the arrests, students in a BU class were ordered to the ground as officers demanded they get off their phones, handcuffing an alleged gun-toting teenager in the process. The following week, a Facebook viral video contended that the same officers arrested another teen from the campus – for going to her car to get a Gatorade.
“She wasn’t fighting, didn’t have a gun; she had a Gatorade in her car,” the student’s grandmother told The Examiner. “They could have released her to her mother – but, no, they hauled her off to 69,” the Jefferson County Jail, where the 17-year-old was charged with assaulting an officer.
“My child has never been in a fight before in her life,” the student’s mother told The Examiner. “You can’t traumatize the good kids because you don’t have control of your school.
“It’s not right what they’ve done – and the public needs to know.”
At approximately 5 p.m. the same day as the “Gatorade incident,” Oct. 26, Beaumont ISD Superintendent Shannon Allen addressed what she called a surge in misconduct at local schools in a letter to parents, asking for their help to stop the intolerable behavior permeating throughout Beaumont campuses.
“In response to the recent surge in student misconduct, including fighting and making statements of a threatening nature, I call upon our families to partner with the district to stop these behaviors,” she wrote. “BISD will not tolerate these actions and all students should know that we take every offense very seriously.”
In addition to the Beaumont United incidents reported over the last week, the district attended to threats at West Brook High School and multiple middle schools, as well.
“In recent days, the threats received by campuses have prompted lockdowns and increased security presence,” Allen detailed. “These disruptions cause the district, the city and the county to expend resources and take them away from their normal duties. The threats also cause panic and worry for our students, parents and the community. Parents, I am asking you to make your child aware of the severe administrative and criminal consequences of participating in destructive and violent behaviors or threats.
“We need our students to come forward if they know about an incident. I am disappointed to see many students are bystanders and even video or share photos of fights and other misconduct occurring on campuses. We want to assure our students that coming forward is by no means a punitive action and will only help our district perform the duty at hand; education.
“Students can speak to a campus administrator or teacher, call the Beaumont ISD Police Department at (409) 617-7000 or Crime Stoppers at (409) 833-4477 to report any criminal or suspicious behavior. The adage ‘if you see something, say something’ still applies today.
Those interested in making a difference on BISD campuses through mentorship and volunteer opportunities are asked to visit www.bmtisd.com/volunteers.