Killeen runaway who witnessed deadly stabbing at school sparks conversation about mental health

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - A Killeen middle schooler is back home with his family after he went missing for six days.

His mom says this is a direct result of losing his friend after the stabbing at his school earlier this year.

The Killeen mother says her formerly zealous and happy teenage son has become a shell of what he was after witness the tragic event.

“I noticed a change in his mood, his behavior. He wasn’t acting out in school, he just wasn’t showing up,” she says.

And she has noticed these changes, she has worked her hardest to address them but she says the damage is deep and led her son to making rash decisions in the process of trying to cope.

“I talked to him about the rules, expectations, and consequences and he signed it. We went to bed and when we woke up, he was gone. No note, no notice, nothing,” she explains.

She says getting help was hard for anyone after the event as counselors on campus were constantly busy. So they sought help outside of the district and that’s when they met Aaron Moon, who has spent many years as a therapist for children who are victims of crime or have witnessed something negatively life-changing.

“I think to some extent they’ve lost part of their innocence by experiencing things they weren’t ready to confront. A key to knowing if someone has been traumatized is that they lose trust in their community and feel like nowhere is safe,” Moon explains.

He says if your child experiences a traumatic event to pay attention to changes in their mood and daily routine, adding that you can get ahead of it by opening a line of communication that lets them express their grief.

Additionally, he says, there are resources outside of the district. That can include seeking out your own therapist and he wants to note that any designated “Safe Place” is equipped to handle children in crisis.

Copyright 2025 KWTX. All rights reserved.