Prison time for man who ‘flashed gun’ at Palo Duro High School

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - A man who brought a gun to Palo Duro High School campus will spend time in prison.

Shyrius Donquale Matthews, 30, appeared in 181st District Court in Potter County today to plead guilty to two felony offenses.

Court documents say that in September, police officers at Palo Duro High School got a report of a man “flashing a gun on campus”.

When they went to investigate, they saw Matthews standing outside school doors with a gun in his possession.

They arrested Matthews and booked him into Potter County Detention Center on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, a third-degree felony.

Two weeks later, the court added a charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon in prohibited places, a third-degree felony. In Texas, a third-degree felony carries a punishment range of up to 10 years in prison.

Matthews was indicted on both counts October 29.

Today he appeared before District Judge Tatiana Frausto and pleaded guilty. Hon. Frausto sentenced Matthews to 5 years in prison.

Matthews has several previous convictions in Potter County and Childress County. His most recent convictions being a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor charge of evading arrest.