Just four days before the March for Our Lives demonstration planned in Washington, D.C. and all over the world to speak out against the disproportionate rate of gun violence in the U.S., yet another school shooting was underway on Tuesday morning at Great Mills High School in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.
BREAKING: St. Mary’s County Public Schools says there has been a shooting at Great Mills High School in Great Mills, Maryland pic.twitter.com/KgDheMm6II
— CNN (@CNN) March 20, 2018
Although injuries have been reported, officials have not confirmed any details at this time regarding the number of injuries, fatalities, or any details about the shooter. Parents were asked to report to a local high school.
CNN was able to speak to one student still inside the school on lockdown. Jonathon Freese told them:
‘I heard A couple people got shot at about 7 [a.m.] or so, one person supposedly dead, from what I’ve heard. At first I heard someone had put a gun against their head. I heard it was one person that got hurt trying to maybe get the gun, I’m not really sure. That’s pretty much mainly all I know in the moment. I’m still a little shaken up. I didn’t think it would really happen. It happened in the art hallway. That’s pretty much all I know at the moment.’
There has been an incident at Great Mills High School. Parents please DO NOT respond to the school. Report to Leonardtown High School
— St. Mary's Sheriff (@firstsheriff) March 20, 2018
The shooting at Great Mills makes 15 total school shootings so far in 2018, or an average of one and a half per week. Six of those incidents occurred after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where students have since organized protests to raise awareness around gun violence and to advocate for common sense gun law reform.
#BREAKING: There has been a shooting at Great Mills High School, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff's Office says. They say the incident has been contained. pic.twitter.com/8rnUqTkzWy
— ABC 7 News – WJLA (@ABC7News) March 20, 2018
Officials confirm that the incident has been “contained,” and local reporters say more details will be updated as they come in.
UPDATE: Great Mills High School in Maryland is on lock down after a reported school shooting.
• Sheriff's office is on the scene
• School says the "event is contained"
• ATF officials are responding to the shooting. pic.twitter.com/xFnVjZSA78— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 20, 2018