KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) – A Texas superintendent said a weapons detection system at a middle school was not working the day a student was fatally stabbed during an altercation.
Killeen ISD Superintendent Dr. Jo Ann Fey also revealed on Friday that 14-year-old Serenity Baker was stabbed in the neck with a 3.5-inch tactical folding knife on March 10.
“The EVOLV weapons detection system at Roy J. Smith Middle School was not functioning that day,” Fey said during a news conference.
The school district did not explain why the system was not working and Fey said it’s unclear if the knife would have been detected.
Parents have been speaking up about ongoing bullying and fights within the school and others. In regards to the fatal stabbing, Fey says no bullying reports were made by the suspect or Baker prior to the deadly incident.
“However, what we don’t know to be true at this time was if the students or parents actually made a report, whether verbally or on paper to KISD staff,” Fey explained.
There was also talk about if either Serenity or the suspect were recently suspended for bringing a knife to school, but Fey said that was not true.
The superintendent did want to clear up confusion about the staff’s ability to respond to the deadly incident in a timely manner.
“From time of impact to time our staff rendering aid was seconds,” Fey said.
The district gave students the rest of the week and an additional day off to help them heal. It also gives staff the chance to tighten protocols.
“Including stricter discipline measures, and a critical look at our own safety procedures and how they were carried out on that day. We are looking at a couple of things, including response times and how we communicate with families,” Fey explained.
The school district launched an independent administrative investigation to go along with the ongoing police investigation.
“It’s an outside investigator that is connected to an attorney so that it removes KISD administration and the potential for mistrust to exist in our community,” Fey said.
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