On Friday, a student was reportedly shot at Joppatowne High School in Maryland, according to local authorities.
A 16-year-old, who was on his first day at the school despite it being the fourth day of the academic year, allegedly shot a 15-year-old during an argument in a bathroom. Joppatowne is situated about 37 minutes northwest of Baltimore.
Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler stated that the victim was shot once and received immediate care from school nurses before being transported to a hospital in serious condition. “It’s a tragic day, just four days into the school year,” he commented during a press briefing.
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After the shooting, the 16-year-old suspect fled to a nearby apartment complex where he was apprehended shortly thereafter. Authorities have yet to recover the weapon, and the suspect will be charged as an adult.
In the wake of the incident, students were evacuated and a reunification center for families was set up at a local church. Sheriff Gahler praised the swift response from the school’s principal and resource officer, with the first deputy arriving within two minutes and over 100 officers on the scene shortly after.
“The system worked and it worked in this instance,” Gahler noted.
This shooting follows closely on the heels of another tragic event two days earlier at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. A 14-year-old named Colt Gray allegedly used a semiautomatic assault-style rifle to shoot and kill two students and two teachers before surrendering to school resource officers.
The victims in Georgia were identified as 14-year-olds Mason Schermehorn and Christian Angulo, along with teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie. Additionally, nine others, including eight students and one teacher, were injured but are expected to recover.
Gray has been charged with four counts of felony murder and will be tried as an adult. In a related case, his father, Colin Gray, faces multiple charges for allegedly allowing his son to access the weapon used in the shooting.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been 384 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, defined as incidents where four or more people are shot or killed, excluding the shooter.