Crime & Safety

Staffer Shot, Suspect Arrested At Frederick Douglass High: Police

One person was hospitalized and the suspected gunman taken into custody after a shooting at a Baltimore high school Friday, officials said.

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BALTIMORE, MD — A staff member was shot at Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore around noon on Friday, Feb. 8, according to the Baltimore Police Department. The suspected shooter was arrested, and the victim has been hospitalized, officials said. No students were involved, police said.

A man related to a student shot the staffer, who is a longtime special education assistant, at the school in the 2300 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway, Baltimore City Public Schools reported.

"He has served Baltimore's students for many years, and I ask you all as part of our city schools community to hold him and his family in your hearts," Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises said in a statement Friday night.

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The 25-year-old suspect was taken into custody at the scene by school police officers, according to the Baltimore Police Department.

"Very quickly they took the suspect into custody," Detective Jeremy Silbert, spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department, told media at the scene, including Fox 45, which was broadcasting live. "We're not sure what would have happened next."

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Police said that the suspect got into an argument with the employee in the building's lobby, then shot him in the lower torso.

While initial reports indicated the staffer was a hall monitor, school officials later reported the individual was a special education assistant.

The 56-year-old victim was in serious but stable condition at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center Friday night, officials said, with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

The suspect, who was not identified, will be taken to central booking and charged, Baltimore police reported at a press conference after 1 p.m. There were no new updates as of 5:10 p.m., police said, adding that his name and mugshot would be released once he had been officially charged.

Students and all other staff remained safe, and the building was on lockdown after the shooting, school officials reported. Dismissal took place at 1:15 p.m. to allow for police to investigate, according to Baltimore City Public Schools.

"In a city where violence is too present, our schools must be havens of safety and peace, where confrontation and weapons have no place," Santelises said. She added that safety protocols would be reviewed for Frederick Douglass and all schools in the city in the days ahead.

"My highest priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff members," Santelises said. "I and my leadership team will take all possible steps to ensure that our schools are the safe havens they need to be."

Past Violent Incidents At Frederick Douglass High School

This is not the first time Frederick Douglass has made headlines for violence.

A teacher was punched by a student at Frederick Douglass High School on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

After a video of the assault went viral on Instagram, the teachers union called for more measures to protect student and staff safety.

In September 2015, there was an assault in the cafeteria at Frederick Douglass High School that put a 16-year-old student in shock trauma with serious facial and head injuries from being punched repeatedly and stepped on by a 17-year-old peer.

The assailant was charged with attempted murder and other offenses. He pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree assault and was sentenced to three years of supervised probation, which ended in September 2018.

Debate Continues Over Arming School Police

Baltimore City Public Schools has its own police force — Baltimore School Police — that is separate from but has a mutual aid agreement with the Baltimore Police Department.

But while Baltimore School Police have all the powers that law enforcement officers in the state have, including arrest powers, they are not allowed to carry guns.

The Baltimore School Police Union has pressed for a change in policy, as school resource officers in other jurisdictions are armed and students have been found in some cases bringing guns to school.

However, WJZ reported that the Baltimore school board voted unanimously, 10-0, last month against supporting a bill proposed in the state legislature that would authorize officers in Baltimore schools to have guns.

Watch Fox 45 live at the scene:

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Image via Google street view.

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