Missing, Possibly Armed Cheltenham Grad Leads To College Shutdown

Classes at Washington College in Maryland have been cancelled as a sophomore student from Cheltenham who may be armed remains missing.

Jacob Marberger, 19, allegedly returned to his parents’ home in Cheltenham earlier in the week and took a case that may have held a firearm, according to reports.

Cheltenham High School was locked down on Monday as a precaution.

Chestertown, Maryland police chief Chief G. Adrian Baker said that Marberger’s last known location was Hamburg, Pennsylvania on Monday morning at about 7:30 a.m.

Classes at Washington College, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, have been cancelled for the rest of the week and through until November 30, and over 1400 students been evacuated from campus, the college said on Facebook.

Marberger is 5’4”, 130 pounds, and has brown curly hair. He was last seen driving a 1997 dark green Land Rover with a Pennsylvania plate beginning with “JWY”.

No direct threats have been made against Washington College, the school said.

Washington College President Sheila Blair reached out to Marberger via a Facebook post, imploring him to be safe:

Jacob: We know these past few days must have been extremely stressful for you. We’re asking you to contact your parents and let them know that you’re safe. Your family misses you. Your friends in the Washington College community are worried about you and want to see you home safe and sound.

Marberger reportedly was not doing well in school, having been kicked out of Phi Delta Theta fraternity last week, resigning his position as speaker of the senate in the college’s student government, and facing charges for having an antique gun at the fraternity house, The Intelligencer said.

In support of Marberger, alumni of Washington College have banded together to create a GoFundMe campaign for him to help him when he returns.

“Despite the difficulty of the week, it has been inspiring to see the student, alumni, and Chestertown communities come together and it makes us all proud to be a part of this family,” wrote Teris Pantazes, the page’s author. “The outpouring of support has prompted all of us to do something more to try to ensure that Jacob knows that while many of us do not know him, the community that we once shared together continues long after we have left and extends to those who follow.”

As of Thursday afternoon, sixteen people had donated $1,270 for Marberger.

“As proud graduates of Washington College, it is our intent to let Jacob know that we respect him and are here to help. He is one of us. We hope you will join us in letting him know that he is not alone and that the entire Washington College family wants him safe.”