On Monday afternoon, a shooting transpired within the premises of Thomas S. Wootton High School, located in the suburban area of Rockville, Maryland. Authorities confirmed that a 16-year-old male student was shot in a hallway and subsequently transported to a hospital where he remains in stable condition.
The Rockville City Police Department identified and apprehended another 16-year-old male student suspected of the shooting shortly after the incident occurred. The arrest took place in proximity to the school grounds. Law enforcement officials have stated there is presently no ongoing threat to the safety of the public.
The initial emergency call was received by police at approximately 2:15 p.m., reporting gunfire inside the high school, which serves the local community near Washington, D.C. Police Chief Jason West addressed the media during a press conference indicating that investigators have yet to recover the firearm purportedly used during the shooting.
The motive behind the shooting remains undetermined as investigators continue their inquiry. Authorities conducted thorough searches of the site and the surrounding area, confirming no additional suspects were involved.
Several students were reported to be near the scene at the time the shots were fired. Police have been interviewing these individuals to gather further information about the events leading up to and following the incident.
One parent, Heather Rodriguez, shared her experience during the event. Upon learning of the shooting, she rushed to the school, driven by a mix of panic and adrenaline. According to Rodriguez, her daughter, a ninth-grade student at the school, communicated via text messages describing the onset of lockdown procedures, the presence of law enforcement officers, and the sound of gunfire.
“Everyone’s acting like we are going to die,” the daughter reportedly told her mother, expressing fear and concern during the lockdown scenario. She also sent a heartfelt message stating, “If anything happens, I love you.”
Other parents remained deeply engaged, using their phones to maintain contact with their children amidst the uncertainty.
In response to the incident, Thomas W. Taylor, the superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, announced that mental health resources would be made available to students and their families. Taylor acknowledged the profound emotional toll on the school community, describing the day as “heartbreaking and deeply unsettling.”
He emphasized the emotional exhaustion and trauma experienced by both students and school staff as a consequence of the day's troubling events.