MCPS Officials Talk Safety In Wake Of Great Mills High Shooting

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — In the wake of Tuesday's fatal shooting at Great Mills High School in Lexington Park, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jack Smith discussed increasing security measures at MCPS.

The southern Maryland shooting occurred before school began at 7:45 a.m., St. Mary's County Sheriff Timothy Cameron said. The gunman fired a round at a girl and boy before exchanging gunfire with the school resource officer.

The 16-year-old girl is suffering life-threatening injuries, while the 14-year-old boy is in stable condition. The shooter, later identified as Austin Wyatt Rollins, 17, was pronounced deceased at 10:41 a.m. at the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center in La Plata, Cameron said.

Smith told Montgomery Community Media that money will be used from the operating budget to make sure Montgomery County schools are "as safe and secure as possible."

School officials look at different shootings around the country and determine what strategies and practices to use in Montgomery County schools, Smith said.

MCPS is focusing on creating guided entrances in schools, with gates and barriers inside that will be closed off before school starts so it is "very clear who is in the school at any given time and why they're here," Smith said.

Officials are also focusing on staffing at schools.

More than 1,400 students evacuated from Great Mills High School following the shooting, according to school officials. The school has about 1,600 students and is near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

The incident ended when a police officer shot the accused gunman, authorities reported.

In an interview with WUSA, Cameron said the immediate response by the school resource officer stopped further attacks on students. As a parent of two high school students, he said he urges parents to "pray for the victims, pray for their well being and survival. I hope in some way we can return to normality, but I don't know how we do that."

School officials at the local, state and national levels echoed the sheriff's sentiments and issued a call for action.

The Maryland State Education Association President said in a statement: "As we learn more details from this morning's shooting at Great Mills High School, one thing is clear: it is far past time for gun violence in our schools to end. Students and educators deserve days filled with learning and discovery, not with fear and lockdowns. We are grateful to the heroic school employees and first responders who protected students, and stand ready as a union family to support the educators, students, and community of Great Mills."

Gov. Larry Hogan thanked the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office and all of the first responders who "swiftly and bravely took action to secure the school. The First Lady and I are praying for those who were injured, their families and loved ones, and for the entire Great Mills community as they come together to heal in the wake of this horrific situation.

"But prayers are not enough," Hogan said. "Although our pain remains fresh and the facts remain uncertain, today's horrible events should not be an excuse to pause our conversation about school safety. Instead, it must serve as a call to action."

Tuesday's shooting follows school shootings in Florida, California, Kentucky and Texas.

On Feb. 14, a gunman shot 17 people to death and numerous others were injured after a former student allegedly opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel identified the shooter as Nikolas Cruz, 19, who was taken into custody shortly after the killing spree began just before the end of the school day. The sheriff said 12 people died in the school building, two outside the school and one on the street. Two people died at the hospital from their injuries, the sheriff said. Fourteen people injured in the shooting were being treated at local hospitals.

Anyone with information regarding the Great Mills High School shooting in Saint Mary's County is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) with tips.

The Associated Press and Patch Editors Elizabeth Janney and Deb Belt contributed reporting to this story.

Photo: School buses are lined up in front of Great Mills High School after a shooting on March 20, 2018 in Great Mills, Maryland. It was reported that two students at a Maryland high school were injured after a colleague opened fire in the hallway just before classes began. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)