A young man is in custody after police say a shooting in the parking lot of a high school in Montgomery County, Maryland, left one person wounded Wednesday.
The shooting reportedly happened after a fight broke out outside Blake High School in Silver Spring just before 11:30 a.m., according to Montgomery County police.
“MCPS security staff noticed several young males in the parking lot who were engaged in an argument that quickly was escalating into a fight,” police chief Marc Yamada said at a news conference outside the school.
A community engagement officer with Montgomery County police, who was already at the school, and school security responded to the fight and found a handgun that had fallen to the ground.
Police took a 19-year-old man into custody but he hasn’t been charged. That man is not a student at the school, according to police.
“This was precipitated by an unwelcome, uninvited adult coming on to campus, engaging in a physical altercation with young people on this campus, and ultimately led to a gunshot wound and an injury,” Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor said.
After the fight, a boy was dropped off at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. His injuries are considered non-life-threatening, police said.
“Investigators quickly determined that this individual was one of the people who had been here at Blake and involved in the fight,” Yamada said.
Following the fight, the school was placed on a hold status, during which hallways are kept clear but classes can continue.
When Yamada was asked by a reporter about whether students were involved in the fighting, he responded, “At this point we’re still trying to figure all of this out.”
He confirmed that officers believe adults and minors were involved in the fight.
“Our investigators are currently conducting interviews, reviewing video evidence and collecting evidence that was left here at the scene,” Yamada said.
The security staff and the officer were not injured during the incident. Yamada said there’s no active threat to the school or the community.
Taylor said classes will be delayed at the high school Thursday. The school system is bringing in counselors and temporarily beefing up security in response to the shooting.
“Some of the students witnessed this event, which is understandably causing a lot of concern for us and for our school community,” Taylor said.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.
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