Administrators Praised For Quick Action After Glen Burnie High Student Brings Gun To School
GLEN BURNIE, Md. (WJZ) — A 15-year-old boy is arrested for bringing a loaded gun to Glen Burnie High School. Now a day later, school administrators are being praised for their fast action.
Mike Hellgren has the latest.
While school officials say their safeguards worked in this case, parents still have many questions. And it raises larger issues about school safety.
Police are still investigating how a 10th grade student obtained a loaded .22 caliber handgun. He stuffed it into his backpack and tried bringing it into Glen Burnie High School before an alert secretary and administrators questioned him and found the weapon.
For parents, the discovery is chilling.
"Nobody knows your child like you do. So if you see something off with your child, then you need to seek psychological help. It happened once, it can happen again and we've seen it numerous times," said Angela Bowen.
It's one of several alarming weapons incidents in Maryland schools, including a teacher wrestling a gun from an eighth-grader last year in Baltimore County and a shooting that injured a student at Perry Hall High School.
Recorded confessions WJZ obtained revealed the young shooter was suicidal.
"The first time I thought about killing myself I was in 4th grade, but I was so young I figured I'd wait," said Robert Gladden Jr.
In the Glen Burnie case, many details will never be known because the teenager who brought the gun is being charged as a juvenile.
Police haven't said why the student brought the weapon onto campus, whether he was bullied or threatened or whether it was something else.
"It's a very cruel world. And we really need to start teaching our children to keep an eye on things. When you see something, say something," Bowen said.
The head of the National Education Association spoke to WJZ about preventing weapons in schools.
"Like access to mental health services and counseling, like making sure schools, the infrastructure is safe. I know there are no perfect solutions, but to do nothing is wrong," said Dennis Van Roekel.
This incident happened the same day the NRA supported arming some school staff members. The National Education Association is opposed to the plan.
The Glen Burnie teenager will likely be sent to the Cheltenham Youth Facility in Prince George's County.
