A Grapevine school bus driver was arrested yesterday after police say he shot his neighbor on a residential block, sending the man to the hospital and briefly putting several Grapevine-Colleyville ISD campuses into a secure status. Officers shut down part of the neighborhood while detectives processed the scene and collected evidence. Investigators say the case is still wide open, with no motive publicly announced and no detailed update on the victim’s condition.
Police response and arrest
Grapevine police said officers were called around 1 p.m. to the 3300 block of Wilshire Avenue, where they found a man who had been shot and learned his neighbor was the suspected shooter, according to a police statement reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The victim was taken to a hospital, and officers immediately took a suspect into custody at the scene, securing the area while detectives documented the block and gathered shell casings and other evidence. Once officers cleared the scene, the nearby school restrictions were lifted.
Suspect identified and employment
Authorities identified the suspect as 64-year-old Shenkoru Sleshi Meketa and arrested him on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD notified families that Meketa worked for the district as a bus driver, but he did not report for his route yesterday. The district said his employment has now been terminated, and officials are reshuffling transportation staff so his students still have a ride.
Nearby schools placed on secure status
While officers worked the scene, several GCISD campuses nearby were placed on a “secure” status, which the district describes as keeping students in class while locking exterior doors. Campuses affected included Heritage Elementary, Heritage Middle School, Colleyville Heritage High School, Grapevine Elementary, the district’s Early Childhood Development Center and the iUniversity Prep offices, according to CBS News. District officials stressed that students were safe during the police activity and said a substitute driver will cover Meketa’s route while transportation staffing is adjusted.
Legal implications
Meketa faces an aggravated assault charge. Under Texas Penal Code §22.02, aggravated assault is generally classified as a second-degree felony. The statute and legal summaries note that a second-degree felony in Texas carries substantial potential prison time, and that certain aggravating circumstances can push the charge up to a first-degree felony with even steeper penalties. A legal overview from LegalClarity describes typical classifications and sentencing ranges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the state.
Grapevine police say the investigation is still active and the neighborhood has been secured. Officials have not released further information about the victim’s condition or any potential motive, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Detectives are continuing to interview witnesses and review evidence as the case moves forward.
