Witness says he unknowingly helped Dallas school shooting suspect get away
Man picked up Dallas school shooting suspect
It took Dallas ISD four hours to announce that the Wilmer-Hutchins High School shooting suspect was still on the run. During that time, he was flagging people down for rides.
DALLAS - The 17-year-old accused of injuring four people at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas reportedly fled the campus after the shooting and flagged down a stranger for a ride.
Tracy Haynes Jr. turned himself in to police late Tuesday and is now in the Dallas County jail.
School Shooting Suspect’s Getaway

Witness account:
Milton Nieto said he had no idea that the teen who asked him for help on Tuesday afternoon was a school shooting suspect who was on the run.
Their encounter was on Pleasant Run, which is a few miles away from Wilmer-Hutchins High School. Nieto did not know that there had been a shooting at the school 30 minutes earlier.
"As I was crossing the railroad track, there was a young man that looked like he was in distress – panicking, waving cars down," he said.
Nieto decided to help the 17-year-old, whom he later learned was Haynes.
"He got in the truck and said he had just been in a wreck. I did confirm. I looked to the right, and there was a wrecked vehicle on the railroad tracks. ‘I need to get to my dad,’ is what he said. ‘Help me out, please,’" he said. "He’s a young man. He’s in distress. He needs to get to his father. He’s scared. Be probably doesn’t know to call for an emergency is what I thought."
The teen told Nieto his father was about a block away. But then his story changed, and he asked to go to Waxahachie.
"Someone finally sent him an address, and he said this is where I need to go," he recalled.
Nieto took Haynes as far as a gas station on Ovilla Road in Red Oak. As he was leaving, he saw Haynes getting another ride.
Nieto called the police to let them know what had happened as a precaution.
Four hours later, Nieto saw FOX 4’s news story where Dallas ISD officials revealed the shooter was still on the loose. That’s when things started to click.
Nieto said he called Lancaster police back to share the details of his encounter once again. Officers came to his office to show him a photo of the suspect.
"Once I saw the photo, my heart started beating a million miles an hour," he said.
He’s just grateful that things hadn’t taken a more dangerous turn.
School Shooting Suspect’s Arrest
WATCH: Dallas school shooting suspect turns himself in to police
Tracy Denard Haynes Jr., 17, turned himself in at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center around 9 p.m. Tuesday. Video credit: Smash Da Topic.
What we know:
Haynes finally turned himself in outside the Dallas County jail at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Video of the surrender was captured by social media livestreamer Smash Da Topic.
Haynes was booked in and charged with four counts of aggravated assault in a mass shooting, which is a first-degree felony. His bond was set at $600,000 -- $150,000 per count.
An arrest warrant affidavit states that police have security video that shows an unknown student letting Haynes into the school around 1 p.m. through an unsecured door.
The video shows him walking down the hallway and encountering a group of male students. That’s when he pulls out a gun and begins shooting "indiscriminately."
He then approaches one student who was unable to run away, and shoots him at point-blank range, according to the report.
Security Questions Remain
Dallas ISD gives update on school shooting | FULL
Dallas ISD school officials and police speak about the shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. 4 students were injured and the suspect is not in custody.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet released any information about Haynes' whereabouts between the time Nieto dropped him off in Red Oak and the time he turned himself in.
Dallas ISD hasn't said whether he is a student at Wilmer-Hutchins High School, or if they've received information as to why he brought the gun to the school.
The school district also hasn’t responded to questions about who propped open the door for Haynes or if that student is facing charges.
There’s no word on why it took police four hours to inform the public that the shooter was on the loose or how they knew the campus would be safe for parents to reunite with their children.
What's next:
Dallas ISD says Chief of Police Albert Martinez will provide an update on the shooting at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
The Source: The information in this story comes from an interview with Milton Nieto, who gave the suspect a ride, Dallas ISD, the Dallas Police Department, and Dallas Fire-Rescue. Some details in this story are also from Tracy Haynes' arrest warrant affidavit.