A high school in Prince George’s County was placed on lockdown for nearly two hours Thursday afternoon when police received a call that a student had brought a gun on campus.
After searching Fairmont Heights High School, county police said, officers found parts of a “ghost gun” — typically purchased as a kit, and a weapon without a serial number — in a classroom. The student who allegedly brought the gun parts to school was arrested, police said.
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Authorities said they were called at about noon to the Landover-area school in the 6500 block of Columbia Park Road.
Another student witnessed the student with gun parts and reported it to the school resource officer, according to Prince George’s County Public Schools spokeswoman Meghan Gebreselassie. Gun parts were found in the student’s backpack.
The lockdown and arrest in Maryland comes two days after 19 children and two teachers were killed in an elementary school classroom in Uvalde, Tex., by an 18-year-old armed with a semiautomatic rifle.
D.C.-area schools to step up security in wake of Texas school shooting
In a statement Thursday, Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) urged parents, community members and students to immediately notify police if they see or hear anything concerning.
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“These are horrifying times we are living in and the indiscriminate violence we have seen spread across the country is deeply impacting us,” Alsobrooks said. “We are laser focused on protecting our community and addressing the fears and concerns we are all feeling due to the violent culture that has engulfed our nation. We will do everything we can to keep our residents safe and to come together as a community.”
Police chief Malik Aziz both stopped by Fairmont Heights on Thursday afternoon, and Aziz briefly spoke, praising the student who reported the gun parts to the student resource officer.
Monica Goldson, the school system’s CEO, and Juanita Miller, the school board president, asked lawmakers in a statement Wednesday — the day before the incident at Fairmont — to “end the cycle of preventable school shootings with legislation that prioritizes the safety of those who teach, learn and work in schools.”
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Since news broke Tuesday about the Uvalde shooting, Prince George’s County police said the department has received several calls reporting suspicious behavior, including at or near other schools. Green Valley Academy in Suitland was placed on lockdown for roughly 10 minutes on Wednesday after a false report of an individual with a gun on school property.
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Authorities did not say whether the Fairmont Heights teen who brought the ghost gun parts had any plans to assemble them or use the weapon at school. Police did not give the student’s name or age.
“As our entire nation continues to grieve the loss of life in the Texas mass shooting, the Prince George’s County Police Department wants to ensure the community that the safety of students in our schools is our top priority,” Aziz said in a statement. “Bringing a weapon to school or even making a threat of violence will not be tolerated. We will arrest and charge accordingly.”
Since the Uvalde shooting, Prince George’s County police have increased patrols at schools — an added presence on top of the school resource officers assigned to public high schools and some middle schools.
Read more:
Latest Updates: Uvalde, Tex., school mass shooting news
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