Gang Activity, Assaults Probed At Aberdeen High School: Police

ABERDEEN, MD — Police presence has been ramped up this week at Aberdeen High School, and investigators are looking into possible gang affiliations among some students after multiple assaults.

Anyone with information or concerns about threats, violence or sexual assaults should contact their school resource officer, parent, responsible adult or law enforcement, Lt. Will Reiber said in a statement Wednesday.

Two assaults that he said were unrelated happened at Aberdeen High School Monday, he said, resulting in multiple arrests.

"Students began circulating a flyer in the school that identified individuals responsible for either sexual harassment or sexual assaults within the school," Reiber said. "One of those individuals named in the flyer was assaulted."

The Aberdeen Police Department arrested the person responsible for the assault, Reiber said.

"We have not received any recent reports of sexual assaults occurring at the school," Reiber said in a statement Tuesday. "However, we are investigating alleged sexual assaults involving kids that happened outside of the school."

On Wednesday, Reiber reiterated that the Aberdeen Police Department had not been informed of rapes at the school.

"Rumors in the community are circulating about rapes that occurred at the Aberdeen High School that were ignored," Reiber said. "We want to make it clear that no rapes have been reported to the police. The Aberdeen Police Department has fielded reports of sexual assaults and harassment in the past, the most recent being in October, and that suspect has been charged."

The person charged in Monday's assault was not identified.

Students are staging a sit-in at Aberdeen High School to honor sexual assault victims at 11 a.m. Thursday, WJZ reported.

"In a second, separate, unrelated incident on Monday, Dec. 6, three students violently assaulted another student in the hallway," Reiber said.

The three students fled and have since been charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and disrupting school operations, Reiber reported Wednesday.

As a result of the investigation, he said, two of the three were linked to an off-campus assault Nov. 30.

"In that incident, a student was violently assaulted and still remains hospitalized," Reiber said. "Investigators are piecing together alleged gang affiliations that have led to or may be the root of some of these assaults that have been taking place over the last week."

After the two assaults at Aberdeen High School on Monday, tensions were reflected on social media.

"Rumors began to circulate on social media of a potential school shooting threat the following day," Reiber said. "Investigation revealed that that was unfounded and that no statements were made."

As the investigation into the incidents continues and amid rumors of threats, Reiber said extra officers from the Harford County Sheriff's Office Crime Suppression Unit have been assigned to the high school.

The Harford County State's Attorney's Office is also working with law enforcement to identify potential gang members through crime analysis, according to Reiber.

Analysts are verifying whether "some of these juveniles are in fact part of the new gangs that are in the area," Reiber told WJZ.

Said Reiber: "We will continue our efforts to identify anyone involved in criminality."

Anyone with information can call the Aberdeen Police Department at 410-272-2121.