Maryland high school shooting: 15-year-old student killed; 16-year-old arrested
A 16-year-old student allegedly shot and killed a 15-year-old boy during an altercation in the boys’ bathroom at Joppatowne High School in Joppa, Maryland, on Friday, according to Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler. The suspect has been arrested.
The victim, identified as Warren Curtis Grant, was quickly attended to by fellow students, school nurses and the principal after being removed from the bathroom, Gahler told reporters at a news conference.
Gahler said that the student was airlifted to a trauma center, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after his arrival.
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The suspect, a new student experiencing his first day at Joppatowne High School, despite the school year being four days in, fled the scene immediately after the incident, Gahler said. He was apprehended shortly after in nearby residences with the assistance of community members.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this amazing young man, with his friends, with all of our staff members, with all of our students,” Joppatowne High School Principal Melissa Williams said at the conference, as quoted by USA Today. “Joppatowne is a loving and strong community who will, without a doubt, rally among our families.”
The incident involved the firing of a single bullet, and the firearm had not yet been recovered.
More than 100 police officers were deployed to the scene in response to the shooting, with the first responding to the incident within two minutes.
The motives behind the altercation remain unclear, but authorities noted that the suspect has had previous encounters with law enforcement.
Gahler said state laws, which he referred to as “criminal friendly,” have prevented officers from interviewing the suspect. But now he stated there is sufficient “overwhelming evidence” to proceed with charges.
Gahler said he has handled “more than 10 incidents since 2022 where this suspect was either the victim, witness or suspect.”
Charges against the teenager are expected to be filed by early Saturday.
Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Sean Bulson expressed devastation over the event and a commitment to preventing future occurrences.
“We’re just devastated to be a part of this awful group of schools that have experienced things like this. And we’re going to do everything we can, working with this community, to make sure this absolutely never happens again,” Bulson was quoted as saying by ABC News.
The incident occurred days after another school shooting in Georgia, where a 14-year-old armed with an AR-style weapon fatally shot two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School in Barrow County.
Colin Gray, the father of 14-year-old Colt Gray, was arrested and charged in connection with his son’s actions. Authorities stated that he knowingly allowed his son to possess a weapon, which he had gifted to his son in December 2023.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the victims as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and his colleague Christina Irimie, 53.
