Weapons detection system at Roy J. Smith Middle was not working day student was fatally stabbed: Killeen ISD

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - Killeen ISD Superintendent Dr. Jo Ann Fey on Friday revealed a weapons detection system at Roy J. Smith Middle School was not working the day a student was fatally stabbed during an altercation.

Fey on March 14 also revealed 14-year-old Serenity Baker was stabbed in the neck with a 3.5-inch tactical folding knife on Monday, March 10.

“The EVOLV weapons detection system at Roy J Smith Middle School was not functioning that day,” Dr. Fey said during her news conference Friday.

The school district did not explain why the system was not working, and Fey added it’s also unclear if the knife would have been detected.

Parents have been speaking up about ongoing bullying and fights going on within this school and others. In regards to this incident, Fey says no bullying reports were made by the suspect or Baker prior to this happening.

“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 Baker or the suspect were recently suspended for bringing a knife to school, Fey says that’s not true.

Dr. Fey 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,” she says.

The district gave students the rest of the week and an additional day off to help them heal, as well as to give 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 explains.

On top of the police investigation underway, the district has also launched an independent administrative 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 explains.

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