Columbia Teen Charged After Gunfire Triggers School Lockdowns: Police

A Columbia teen who allegedly fired a handgun that prompted two school lockdowns earlier this month is being charged as an adult, according to the Howard County Police Department.

The 16-year-old, of the 10500 block of Jason Lane, is charged with reckless endangerment, having a handgun on his person, using a firearm to commit an act of violence and possessing a firearm while a minor, court records show.

Police suspect the teen was connected to reports of gunfire on a footpath in the area of Daystar Court on Sept. 17.

After officials received reports of shots fired in the area that day, Wilde Lake middle and high schools were placed on lockdown temporarily while authorities searched the area to ensure there was no threat to student safety, according to police.

The suspicious circumstance was reported at 2:44 p.m. and by 3 p.m., the lockdowns were lifted, police said.

A shell casing was found in an “ongoing search of the area,” police later reported.

Police identified the teen as a suspect and initially charged him as a juvenile, then after counsel from prosecutors charged him as an adult, according to the report.

He was taken into custody on Sept. 22 at Wilde Lake Village Center, where police said he was carrying a handgun. Officials said he was not a student at any local schools.

The teen is slated to appear in Howard County District Court on Nov. 19.