Annapolis High School Stabbing: Attempted Murder Charged, 7 Arrested, 2 Hospitalized

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A student was charged with attempted murder after an Annapolis High School stabbing hospitalized two and prompted seven arrests Wednesday morning, officials said. The school entered a lockdown that lasted nearly 1.5 hours.

One victim suffered a possibly serious hand injury and went to the Curtis National Hand Center at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore for treatment, WBAL-TV 11 reported. The other teen suffered a minor wound and went to the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, the news outlet added.

Police spokeswoman Jacklyn Davis said the victims are students and that one is a charged suspect. She expects both to survive.

Officers clarified the suspects were charged as minors. Officials released these charges against the seven unidentified teens:

Suspect 1

• Attempted second-degree murder
• First-degree assault
• Reckless endangerment
• Second-degree assault
• Disrupting school activities
• Deadly weapon: On school property
• Deadly weapon: Conceal
• Deadly weapon: With intent to injure

Suspect 2

• Trespassing
• Deadly Weapon: On school property (Police alerted that they found a second knife, but it was not used in the fight)
• Second-degree assault
• Affray
• Disorderly conduct
• Disrupting school activities

Suspects 3 to 7

• Second-degree assault
• Affray
• Disorderly conduct
• Disrupting school activities

How It Happened

Davis noted that a pair of student resource officers, or SROs, spotted the fight atop a stairwell around 8:47 a.m. She mentioned that a nearby teacher shouted "He has a knife! He has a knife!"

The spokeswoman said police officers ordered the student to drop his weapon, and he immediately complied. The armed SROs took him into custody without using force, officials shared.

Davis, who has children in Anne Arundel County Public Schools, is happy the officers were on patrol. She wonders how bad the situation could have been if the SROs weren't present.

"What if this person didn’t comply, and what if there was an active stabbing going on?" Davis questioned at a press conference. "Our SROs are trained to de-escalate and not to use force unless they absolutely have to."

The Anne Arundel County Police Department announced its presence at 9:23 a.m. The agency stated at 10:02 a.m. that there was no active threat at the school. The lockdown ended at 10:10 a.m., authorities detailed.

The school day then continued with a slightly modified schedule. The lockdown interrupted lunch hour, so the new schedule gave students a chance to eat.

Extra police officers and administrators were on hand the rest of the day. The school canceled all its afternoon and evening activities.

Detectives asked anybody with information or video to call anonymously at (410) 222-4700.

Normal activity has resumed at the school. There will be an increased police presence at the school for the remainder of the day. https://t.co/rJChVAWlZL
— Anne Arundel Police (@AACOPD) September 29, 2021

Effects On Students, Community

AACPS Superintendent George Arotto suggested the fight was retaliation for an incident that happened off-campus about a week and a half ago. Investigators don't think the assault was gang-related.

Arlotto thanked the students, staff and police for their quick responses. He reminded families that schools are safe and asked students to resolve their conflicts peacefully.

"I need our students to understand there is a better way to work through your frustration," the superintendent commented. "There is a better way to work through your anger. Let us help you with that."

Arlotto and Davis acknowledged that the fight could hurt students' mental health, especially after they just returned from extended virtual learning. The duo pointed to the police department's Crisis Intervention Team, which will work with community members to cope with the trauma. Counseling services are also available by dialing (410) 768-5522.

"It is traumatic, and it’s huge, and it’s one of those things that’s going to impact these students potentially for a very long time," Davis concluded. "It’s easy for people to, you know, just watch the news and click through, not thinking about the people that this affected first hand."

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