Crime & Safety

17-Year-Old Charged In Magruder High School Shooting: Report

A junior at Magruder High School is facing an attempted murder charge after a 15-year-old student was shot Friday.

ROCKVILLE, MD — A 17-year-old student at Magruder High School in Rockville has been charged with second-degree attempted murder in connection with a Friday shooting that seriously injured another student and prompted an hours-long lockdown at the school.

Steven Alston Jr., a junior at Magruder High School, allegedly used a ghost gun to shoot a 15-year-old male student, according to a report by NBC Washington. A ghost gun does not have serial numbers, making it untraceable. Parts can be bought online and assembled at home.

Alston was arrested on school grounds around 3 p.m., according to NBC. His motive remains unknown.

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RELATED: Students Released From Lockdown At Magruder High School


Magruder High School was locked down for several hours Friday after a 911 call was placed just before 1 p.m. The school said it would start to dismiss students from the building at 5 p.m. and dismissal would continue through 6 p.m.

Find out what's happening in Rockvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The student who was shot was found seriously injured in a bathroom and was taken to a hospital Friday afternoon, NBC and Montgomery County police reported. The teen underwent surgery and was listed in critical condition Saturday, NBC reported.

Police officers searched the school for the suspected shooter. Alston was found in a classroom about 3 p.m., NBC reported. The gun was found nearby.

Investigators are still working to determine if the 15-year-old student was shot inside the bathroom or elsewhere inside the school building.

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