Del Valle ISD police have charged a 17-year-old student after investigators say he stepped out of a car outside Dailey Middle School on Dec. 4 and briefly showed what appeared to be a handgun, sending nearby kids running.
What Investigators Say the Video Shows
An affidavit describes campus surveillance footage that begins around 5:25 p.m. with a silver Mustang pulling into the school parking lot as buses are arriving. According to the filing, the driver, identified as the student’s 19-year-old cousin, walks up to another student while the 17-year-old heads back to the Mustang, grabs what investigators say was a handgun, and stands in the rocker panel “appearing to wave something in the air.” Children nearby are seen taking off after the object goes up, as reported by KXAN.
District Response and Recent Incidents
Del Valle ISD has said it treats any perceived threat to a campus as serious, and this case lands in the middle of a tense stretch for the district. Earlier this month, Del Valle High School was placed on a hold after a student brought a BB gun, and officials also investigated a separate threat posted on social media, per FOX 7 Austin.
Charges, Denials and Legal Stakes
According to the affidavit, a Del Valle ISD detective submitted the charging paperwork on Dec. 10, about a week after the parking lot incident. The filing includes what investigators describe as a message the 17-year-old allegedly sent to a school administrator, denying he ever held a gun and claiming the item was “a black metal pole.”
The affidavit also notes that the Travis County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene at about 5:43 p.m. but did not locate the Mustang or anyone with a weapon, and county court records show the 19-year-old driver has not been charged, according to KXAN. Under Texas law, some offenses involving the exhibition of a firearm can be treated as felonies; a third-degree felony carries a possible sentence of two to ten years in prison under §12.34 of the Texas Penal Code.
The case remains under investigation while prosecutors review the affidavit and video evidence, and the student is presumed innocent unless and until any formal court proceedings prove otherwise. Del Valle ISD police and county authorities have asked anyone with video or information about what happened in the parking lot to contact investigators to help them finish their review.
