As police continue to search for a suspect connected to a shooting earlier this week in Odenton, Maryland, the football games between two high schools that were supposed to be on Friday have been rescheduled for Monday.
The games between Meade High School and Old Mill High School, however, will be played without any spectators.
“We wanted to make sure our student-athletes could play the games … and if that meant not having spectators, then that was a concession we were not happy about but willing to make,” said Bob Mosier with Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
The schedule change stems from a shooting that happened around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Commodore Drive and Langdon Farm Circle in Odenton.
There, Anne Arundel County police said they learned that some people had opened fire at each other, and that the shooting was connected to a fight and robbery that happened earlier that day.
Police have arrested one suspect, Calvin Edward Johnson, 34, of Odenton. When they executed a search warrant at his home, they found evidence of the earlier robbery and found a loaded pistol hidden underneath a tree in the woods behind his home.
Johnson is facing multiple charges, including second-degree assault, robbery and reckless endangerment.
Police are still looking for a second suspect. They described him as African American, around 16-18 years old, about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, of average build and with short hair.
Mosier said that some of the people involved in the shooting had ties to Meade High. It’s unclear if the suspect police are looking for is connected to the school.
On its website, Anne Arundel County Public Schools said that the varsity and junior varsity football games between Meade and Old Mill will be on Monday, Sept. 23.
Mosier said the games had gone through a lot of rescheduling. Initially, the games were rescheduled for Saturday. Then, Mosier said due to “online chirping” of possible threats involving the football game, the games were then postponed indefinitely. Now, after recent conversations with police, Mosier said the decision was made to move the games to Monday.
The games will be played at Meade High; JV starts at 4 p.m., and varsity at 6:30 p.m. Because police are still investigating, Mosier said no spectators are allowed at either games.
“Only players, coaches, trainers, county and military police, and school and school system personnel with direct involvement in the game will be permitted to attend,” the school system said in the statement on its website.
“The game being on Fort Meade brings with it a Fort Meade police presence, obviously, and we have a tremendous relationship with Anne Arundel County police, and they regularly provide a presence at our football games,” Mosier said.
A free livestream can be found here. Tickets bought for Friday’s game will be honored at future Meade vs. Old Mill games.
Anyone with information about this case can call detectives at (410) 222-6155, or the tip line at (410) 222-4700.
Below is a map of the area where police said shots were fired.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.
