A Timberview High School student had turned himself in to authorities after opening fire inside the classroom Wednesday amid an argument with other students that left four people injured.
But the family of 18-year-old Tim Simpkins claims that he was a victim himself after enduring years of bullying and intimidation.
“At the end of the day my Lil cousin was bullied,” Simpkins’ cousin Clint Wheat posted on Facebook. “I don’t know to feel about this he's no bad kid.”
“It was recorded. It happened not just once, it happened twice. He was scared, he was afraid,” relative Carol Harrison Lafayette added.
“There is no justification for anybody being hurt. It wasn’t just one person that would attack him and bully him, taking his money.”
“We have to take a look at the fact that bullying is real. And it takes us all. And I do apologize. We ask as a family for the forgiveness of any type of hurt.”
Lafayette explained that Simpkins had the gun on him for protection.
“Because he wore nice clothes and because he drove nice cars because he had the things, he was like a target.”