Gun At Perry Hall High School Was Airsoft Pistol, Police Say

PERRY HALL, MD — An 18-year-old has been arrested in connection with a fight in the Perry Hall High School parking lot. Police said the teen was taken into custody Friday night, and an Airsoft gun was recovered.

The arrest came after a video circulated on social media showing the fight outside the high school in the 4600 block of Ebenezer Road.

Police received multiple 911 calls reporting the fight in the school parking lot before noon on Thursday, with callers reporting that a gun was involved, according to Corporal Shawn Vinson.

Authorities worked Friday to identify the people in the video and determine whether the weapon was real, Vinson said.

After 7 p.m., officials said the 18-year-old was taken into custody and the others involved in the fight had been identified, with charges pending.

Two lawmakers representing Perry Hall at the county and state levels said they were concerned about the violence at the school, where there was a school shooting in 2012.

County Councilman David Marks, whose district includes Perry Hall, sent a letter to the interim superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools on Friday stating that he had not received any information from school system officials the day of the incident.

"I am appalled..." Marks said. "Please take action."

Delegate Christian Miele, who also represents Perry Hall, said: "We must teach young people that this type of behavior will not be tolerated, and that there are consequences to their actions."

Perry Hall High School was the location of a school shooting in 2012 when a student opened fire on the first day of school. Robert Gladden Jr., shot and injured a special needs student in the Perry Hall High School cafeteria on Aug. 27, 2012. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison for attempted first-degree murder.

Police said that in the aftermath of the fight on Thursday, extra officers were stationed around the school on Friday.

"To the best that we can determine right now, no one has been injured," Vinson said Friday afternoon.
"We do not believe that there is an ongoing threat to the students of the school or the public," Vinson told Patch. "This appears to be an isolated incident."

Added Vinson: "We have increased patrol units in the area and also [are] employing several other resources that we would not like to disclose, to insure the safety of the school and area."

Previous report: Police presence was reportedly increased at Perry Hall High School after video of a fight circulated online and sparked concern over the safety of students. The video, which was shared on social media and appeared to show a group of youths in a physical altercation, was captured Thursday by someone in a vehicle in the school parking lot.

Delegate Christian Miele, who represents Perry Hall, said that police told him the fight occurred at 11:03 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, and involved some current students as well as what may have been a replica gun.

"We cannot continue to downplay the seriousness of such violent and egregious acts, nor can we allow them to go unpunished," Miele said. "We must teach young people that this type of behavior will not be tolerated, and that there are consequences to their actions."

Parents received a robo call from the school on Friday, according to ABC 2 News, which reported extra police officers would be at the school, although the principal said there was no credible threat.

County Councilman David Marks, whose district includes Perry Hall, sent a letter to the interim superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools on Friday stating that he had not received any information from school system officials on Thursday. "I am appalled..." Marks said. "Please take action."

In November, Perry Hall High School also had an increased police presence after rumors of a threat about a student bringing a weapon to school circulated in fliers and on social media.

SEE ALSO: Threat Put Perry Hall HS On Alert

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Patch file photo.