Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School went on lockdown Wednesday after the Montgomery County school’s principal said a fight involving some students broke out at a nearby park and gunshots were reported.
On Thursday, Maryland-National Capital Park Police arrested a juvenile for gun-related charges and 18-year-old Nicholas Paolo Blanco on multiple charges related to the incident.
In a letter to school families, Principal Shelton Mooney said that around 10:10 a.m. on Wednesday, a member of the community alerted the school that gunshots were heard in a nearby park. School staff then notified emergency personnel and police.
The people involved in the fight dispersed after the sound of gunshots and the school then went into lockdown mode out of an abundance of caution.
No one was hurt in the shooting.
After reviewing footage of the fight, Mooney said, it was determined that some of the people involved were students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Mooney said.
The lockdown officially went into effect at 10:57 a.m. In a post on X, Montgomery County police said a shelter in place call was still in effect around 2:20 p.m.
“I was impressed by the behavior of our students and staff during this serious and stressful event,” Mooney wrote. “We understand that communication and connection are crucial during moments like these, and we made a concerted effort to share information.”
Mooney said support is available for students, staff and families effected by the lockdown event, including an increased police presence around the school and a crisis team that will have counselors available.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the Maryland-National Capital Park Police Criminal Investigations Unit’s tip line at 301-929-2748.
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