Staff Member Shot at Baltimore High School
According to police, the gunman entered the school just after noon and shot special education assistant Michael Marks. The 56-year-old victim remains in serious condition and the 25-year-old gunman is in police custody.
- By Jessica Davis
- February 13, 2019
A staff member was shot Friday in the lobby of Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore, according to the Baltimore Sun. The 56-year-old victim remains in serious condition and the 25-year-old gunman is in police custody.
According to police, the gunman entered the school just after noon and shot special education assistant Michael Marks. The alleged shooter is related to a Douglass student, police said.
No students were injured during the incident.
“In a city where violence is too present, our schools must be havens of safety and peace, where confrontation and weapons have no place,” schools CEO Sonja Santelises said. “I can tell you that both our officers and our injured staff member did everything to ensure the safety of our students.”
The gunman was confronted by Marks after entering the campus through its front entrance. He then shot Marks. The incident was isolated to the lobby of the school.
Police and district leadership responded to the incident, and the school was placed on lockdown. School police took the gunman into custody “without incident,” school police chief Akil Hamm said.
The school dismissed at 1:15 p.m. “to enable the police investigation,” according to the district.
Mayor Catherine Pugh issued a statement on Twitter on Friday, calling the incident “totally unacceptable.”
“Police investigators are working to determine not only the circumstances which led to this incident but how a person with a gun was allowed to enter the school,” Pugh said. “Our schools need to be safe havens where our children can learn and achieve the potential. We will be conducting a full assessment to determine how best to prevent this type of incident from happening again.”
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.