A Maryland high school student shot his fellow classmate on Friday, killing the 15-year-old just two days after a Georgia school shooting left four victims dead.
The 16-year-old assailant fired a single shot at the younger boy, Warren Curtis Grant, in a men’s bathroom at Joppatowne High School on Friday afternoon, Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said at a news conference. Other students removed Warren from the bathroom soon after the shooting and he was treated by school nurses and the principal.
Warren died later that day at a trauma center, Gahler later told reports.
Police arrested the teenage suspect, whose identity has not been released because he has not been charged yet. Officers have not recovered the firearm used in the shooting, Gahler said.
“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 told reporters. “Joppatowne is a loving and strong community who will, without a doubt, rally among our families.”
Police knew suspect from 10 previous incidents
Police were well-acquainted with the 16-year-old shooter, as he’s been the “victim, witness or suspect” in 10 incidents since 2022, according to Gahler.
“He’s a 16-year-old student at the school. This was his first day, although there were four days into the school year, this was his first day,” Gahler said.
Gahler said that officers have not been allowed to talk to the suspect due to a “criminal friendly legislature” in the state. He added that officials have enough “overwhelming evidence” against the suspect to file charges without interviewing him. He said the suspect is expected to be officially charged by early Saturday.
Two students, two teachers killed in Georgia shooting
The Maryland shooting comes two days after a shooter opened fire Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia. Two teachers and two students were killed in the attack.
Authorities said a 14-year-old boy was armed with “an AR-platform style weapon” when he carried out the deadly shooting. He faces four counts of felony murder and “additional charges are expected,” according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. The teen’s father also was charged.
“We’re all familiar with the horrible shooting that took four lives in Georgia just a couple days ago, and here we stand in Harford County with a school shooting,” Gahler said.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen and Jeanine Santucci
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