KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — Killeen ISD Superintendent Dr. Jo Ann Fey took to the podium on Wednesday, in the middle of the district's spring break, for an impromptu press conference, to address community concerns following the tragic stabbing at Roy J. Smith Middle School. While no new details about the investigation were provided, Dr. Fey emphasized the district’s commitment to improvement and transparency.
Dr. Fey announced plans to collect community input through a roundtable discussion, aiming to address systemic issues and rebuild trust. She also acknowledged gaps in the district’s bullying reporting system, with 25 News learning that a significant amount of KISD parents, were unaware of the district's official online bullying reporting procedure
“Can a parent verbally come to the office and share their concerns, and the answer is, absolutely yes." Dr. Fey stated in response to 25 News at the presser.
"Where that is documented is questionable right now. We, too, are doing a deep dive into some of the things we feel we are responsible for, not just at Roy J. Smith, but all campuses moving forward."
On Monday, KISD confirmed that the principal and assistant principal at Roy J. Smith Middle School have been placed on administrative leave for a yet-to-be-determined length of tine. However, the district has yet to find out why the school’s weapons detection system was not operational on the day of the fatal incident.
In addition to these updates, KISD released a detailed timeline of interactions between the suspect and the victim in the month leading up to the tragedy.
According to attendance records, the two students had only been on campus at the same time for four days. On March 3, 2025, the accused’s father reported to the principal that unidentified students were threatening his child in their neighborhood, including flashing a weapon. He was advised to report the matter to the Killeen Police Department.
The timeline reveals that both students were absent from school for extended periods leading up to the incident. March 10, 2025, marked the first day they were on campus together since February 20, 2025. Both students arrived late that morning, with the victim arriving at 8:18 a.m. and the accused at 8:28 a.m. Teachers intervened in a verbal altercation between the two earlier in the day, but the situation escalated into the fatal incident. It has since been revealed that the students had planned to continue their dispute after school.
