“The Arlington ISD is setting up a reunification site for Bowie High School students and families at the Arlington ISD Athletics Center at 1001 E. Division, 76011,” school officials said in a statement at 4:10 p.m. “All Bowie students inside the school will be bused to the reunification center.”

Around 4:30 p.m., an announcement was made to parents waiting at the reunification site that it might be about an hour before students arrived there. Some buses could be seen leaving the school around 5 p.m.

“Please understand we have very strict safety protocols we must follow — and so the process of releasing students / staff and busing them to the reunification center will take some time,” police said.

Parents and guardians were told to check in at the natatorium, which is located next to the Athletics Center. Parents were told to bring identification and enter the Athletics Center from the entrance located off Division Street. Overflow parking for reunification was made available at Lot 11 at AT&T Stadium.

One mother, Erica Sims, whose daughter is a sophomore, started trying to get to her daughter as soon as she heard about the shooting, she said as she waited at the reunification center.

“I panicked of course. I’ve been trying to find my child and I can’t find my child,” she said.

Sims and her family live in the neighborhood close to the school and she said she drove around looking for her daughter until she was told to go to the athletics center. She initially couldn’t find a place to park but eventually was able to get in.

Sims also has a son who is a senior at Bowie High but he left school early for the day.

When Sims first heard what happened, “My heart dropped,” she said. “I didn’t want it to be my child. I don’t want it to be anybody’s child.”

Sims texted her daughter several times, asking, “Baby, are you there? Are you there? Were you shot?”

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