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Resident urges stronger school response after pellet‑gun shootings near Midland High
Summary
At the Midland ISD public forum, resident Evelyn Bergos described recurring neighborhood violence tied to Midland High students, including pellet‑gun injuries and near‑misses, and criticized what she called slow responses by MISD police and the city. She asked the district to improve camera access, enforcement and student supervision.
Evelyn Bergos told the Midland ISD Board of Trustees on June 23 that repeated unsafe behavior by Midland High students is spilling into nearby neighborhoods and that district response has been inadequate. “These kids are going to kill somebody,” Bergos said, describing students speeding, fighting, crashing into yards and, most alarmingly, bringing pellet guns to campus. She said her daughter was hit three times in the arm by a pellet on her walk home and showed photos of wounds.
Bergos said she was told by an MISD police chief that it took 30 minutes to send anyone after she reported a gun incident; the only person who arrived that day was a principal. She said district staff declined assistance to pull camera footage and that, because one MISD officer was at lunch, a second officer was off campus responding to fights. “The police department said that they cannot do anything; it has to be up to the school,” she told trustees.
Board members did not take immediate action during public comment, but Bergos’ remarks were followed by a broader board discussion later in the meeting about student discipline, campus safety and transportation planning. Dr. Howard, the superintendent, highlighted summer safety and staffing work in his update and said the district is working on multiple fronts to support campuses.
Why it matters: Bergos’ account tied troubling on‑ and off‑campus behavior to gaps in supervision and rapid incident response. The incidents she described — pellet‑gun shootings that produced visible injuries, repeated fights, and vehicles driving recklessly near students — raise safety and liability concerns for neighbors and families and put pressure on the district to clarify what enforcement and surveillance resources are available.
What’s next: The board meeting record shows no immediate vote or formal directive tied directly to Bergos’ statement, but the concern appears on the public record and the superintendent’s office is positioned to follow up with campus safety staff and MISD police on reporting, camera access and response procedures.
