Safety at School

Former student charged with wounding principal at Houston charter school

Oct. 4, 2021

The principal of YES Prep Southwest Charter High School was treated Friday at a hospital for a gunshot wound and was released.

A former student at a charter high school in Houston has been charged with shooting the school's principal.

ABC News reports that Dexter Harold Kelsey, 25, faces charges of aggravated assault against a public servant and deadly conduct in connection with the shooting last week at YES Prep Southwest Secondary School.

The principal, Eric Espinosa, 36, was treated at a local hospital for his injuries and released.

The Houston Chronicle reports that a Harris County judge has set bail for Kelsey at $5.3 million. Hearing Officer Cheryl Diggs said that Kelsey, who graduated from YES Prep Southwest in 2017, has held a grudge for several years against a counselor at the school.

Police say that Kelsey allegedly shot his way into the school building Friday morning and wounded Espinosa in the back.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said officers arrived to the scene within minutes of the shooting. When officers confronted the suspect, still armed with a rifle, he surrendered without incident.