Mansfield teacher assaults wife, shoots 13-year-old son, 21-year-old stepdaughter: police
A science teacher with Mansfield Independent School District is in jail after he assaulted his wife and shot his son and stepdaughter at their home Tuesday night, police said.
Thomas Boykin, 52, was arrested and faces three counts of aggravated assault/family violence with serious bodily injury, according to police records.
Mansfield ISD confirmed that Boykin was an eighth-grade science teacher at Linda Jobe Middle School. District officials immediately placed him on leave when they heard about his arrest.
Officers were dispatched to the family’s residence on Arabian Court around 10:40 p.m. in response to the shooting, police said.
Boykin is accused of assaulting his wife after they argued and then grabbing a handgun and shooting his son, 13, and his stepdaughter, 21. Boykin went into his son’s bedroom and shot the boy while he was sleeping and then went into his stepdaughter’s bedroom and shot her, Mansfield police said in a news release Wednesday.
Boykin’s wife was able to get out of the house, and his wounded stepdaughter called 911, police said.
The 13-year-old and 21-year-old victims had surgery overnight and are listed in serious but stable condition Wednesday, police said.
A neighbor of the family, Reagan Finch, said he didn’t know anything was wrong until he heard Boykin’s wife yelling for help outside.
“She said, ‘He’s shooting my kids!’” Finch said. “And we’re going, ‘What? Who’s shooting?’ I mean, we didn’t have a clue.”
The shooting was shocking, according to Finch. He described the family members as “real nice people” and said he’d never seen anything to indicate there was a problem.
Another neighbor, Twanna Kent, said she didn’t know the Boykins well, but she would see them playing basketball outside their house.
“They seemed to be the perfect family,” she said.
The siblings are being treated at a local hospital. Their mother reportedly wasn’t seriously injured and went with them to the hospital.
Police said the incident was domestic, but further details of what led up to the shooting are still under investigation. Police initially said the 13-year-old was Boykin’s stepson but later clarified that he is Boykin’s son.
Officers found Boykin inside the home and took him into custody without incident, police said. He is being held Wednesday at the Everman Jail.
Boykin was employed by Mansfield ISD for 17 years. Officials are moving forward with plans to terminate his employment pending approval by the board of trustees, according to a statement from the district.
According to public records and the Mansfield ISD website, Boykin’s wife is also employed by the district as an assistant principal.
Counseling resources are available for all students and staff, school officials said.
“Mansfield ISD does not condone this type of behavior in our schools or community,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and support are with the victims.”
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