Police No Longer Believe There Is A Public Safety Threat Following Report Of Shooting In Cape St. Claire
CAPE ST. CLAIRE, Md. (WJZ) -- Anne Arundel County police have lifted the 'shelter in place' order after an armed teenager was seen walking around a wooded area of Cape St. Claire Elementary School and Broadneck High School.
Spokeswoman, Lt. Jaclyn Davis with the Anne Arundel County Police Dept. said, "a woman was walking in the woods when she saw which she describes as a 14 or 15-year-old white male, dark hair, wearing a camo jacket who had a handgun in his hand."
The call to police came around 8:50 Monday morning, which prompted an immediate response by the Anne Arundel County Police Dept as well as Maryland State Police and the Dept of Natural Resources police.
What happened next made the entire situation switch from alarming to terrifying when an officer's window was seemingly shot out near the area where the armed suspect was seen. Davis said, "we don't know if the shot was purposeful, we don't know if it was accidental, we also don't know if it's some sort of fluke with the car where the back windshield just cracked."
A woman who lives near the Elementary school, placed into a 'lockout,' said, "I started seeing individuals get out of vehicles in tactical gear I knew it wouldn't be a normal Tuesday morning." She said her daughter will start Kindergarten at the Cape St. Claire Elementary School and this has made her nervous knowing other kids were in the school; "I can't imagine, I'm just very empathetic for those parents right now."
This mom also said, "maybe I'm crazy to say this, but I feel for the kid to make such a stupid decision.. if that's what it turns out to be," she added, "we don't know what's going on and mental health is a real issue. I'm not saying that's what it is, but kids are under a lot of stress, kids you're under a lot of pressure."
Anne Arundel County Schools lifted their shelter in place order and resumed operations as normal by the end of the school day.
Police said they know who the suspect is, but they have not named him to WJZ because he is a minor. They have not confirmed the type of handgun. When asked if the gun could have been a BB or airsoft gun, the police said that is a possibility.
