Teen faces multiple charges after fatal Harford County school shooting
BALTIMORE-- A 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy at Joppatowne High School on Friday.
The teen is being charged as an adult with murder, first and second-degree assault, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony/crime of violence.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said in a press conference Friday that the 16-year-old student allegedly shot a 15-year-old during a fight inside a men's bathroom just after 12:30 p.m.
The 15-year-old victim, Warren Grant, was found suffering from a gunshot wound and was tended to by school nurses, staff, and students. He was then taken by helicopter to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center where he was pronounced dead after arriving.
After the shooting, the 16-year-old fled the school and was found in a nearby neighborhood after residents called 911 to report a suspicious person trying to break into a house. The suspect was taken into custody without incident around 12:52 p.m.
He is currently being held in the Harford County Detention Center awaiting his initial appearance before a judicial officer.
The sheriff's office said the events leading up to the shooting and the relationship between the victim and suspect are still under investigation.
"I graduated from that high school, I never thought in a million years something like that would happen. That's just disgusting. That type of thing doesn't happen here in Joppatowne, never ever," Matthew Wiggins, a neighbor said. "Why did you have to bring a gun into this situation? Why are you even bringing it into the school? School is supposed to be about safety, learning, discipline…it breaks my heart."
According to the Harford County Sherriff, the suspect has had 10 prior contacts with the police over the past two years.
In the release, the department stated they believe no other suspects are involved and there is no ongoing threat to the community or school.
Harford County School Superintendent Sean Bulson shared that students will be offered counseling but he was unsure when classes would resume.