A loaded gun recovered from a student at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County last week was registered to the parent of another student at the school, police said. The incident is under investigation, and authorities confirmed that the weapon was not fired and no students were injured.
According to Baltimore County police, the gun was recovered on Wednesday, October 14, following a verbal altercation between two students at the school.
School staff members separated the students after the argument. Officials were then informed that one of the students might have a firearm. The student was searched, and the weapon was found, according to school officials. The student was subsequently arrested.
A school resource officer responded to the incident and confiscated the weapon. Additional Baltimore County police officers also arrived to assist with the investigation.
“Our School Resource Officer responded and confiscated the weapon, and the student was arrested,” school officials said in a statement. “Additional Baltimore County police officers also responded to the school to assist. This is now a police matter, and an investigation is underway.”
Police later confirmed that the firearm was registered to the parent of another student who attends Woodlawn High School. Authorities also said the registered owner lives outside Baltimore County’s jurisdiction.
Officials have not provided further details about how the student obtained the firearm. The circumstances surrounding the weapon’s presence at the school remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Police Investigate a Separate Reported Threat
The firearm incident was not the only safety-related matter involving Woodlawn High School under police review that week.
Over the weekend, Baltimore County police began investigating a reported threat of violence at the school. The department said it received information about the reported threat through the Maryland Center for School Safety.
Authorities have not indicated whether the reported threat was connected to the firearm incident. The two matters should be treated as separate investigations unless police establish a link.
The incidents have prompted police to remind parents and guardians to speak with their children about school safety, the dangers of making threats, and the serious consequences of bringing weapons onto school property.
Police Encourage Students to Report Safety Concerns
Baltimore County police urged students who have concerns about possible threats or weapons at school to report the information to a trusted school official or law enforcement officer.
“Students can share concerns with a school resource officer, teacher, administrator, or any member of law enforcement,” the department said.
Students and community members can also submit information anonymously through Safe Schools Maryland, a statewide reporting system operated through the Maryland Center for School Safety.
Police encourage families to take potential threats seriously and report concerning behavior rather than waiting for a situation to escalate.
The investigation into the firearm recovered at Woodlawn High School remains ongoing. Authorities have not announced additional details about the student’s arrest or whether further charges may be filed.