The United States and beyond woke up to another school shooting on American soil today.
Great Mills High School in St. Mary’s County, Maryland was put on lockdown before the bell even rang for first-period class.
A male student, armed with a handgun, opened fire on fellow students in the school’s hallway.
According to St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron, the perpetrator was able to shoot a male and female student before being subdued.
Cameron says the male student is in critical condition at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, while the female student is in critical condition at a shock trauma facility.
Latest on the Maryland school shooting:
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) March 20, 2018
- Male student fired a gun, wounding a female and male student in a hallway before classes started. Female victim is critical
- School resource officer fired a round at the shooter
- Shooter is confirmed dead https://t.co/AYmXxxs9e7 pic.twitter.com/kqZm2XSsRR
“I am told that at 10:41 a.m. this morning, the shooter was confirmed deceased at Charles Regional Medical Center in La Plata,” Cameron told the media.
Cameron went on to explain that the school’s resource officer pursued and engaged the shooter once the first shots were fired.
The officer fired a round at the shooter, while the shooter fired one back at the officer as well.
“In the days to come, through detailed investigation, we’ll be able to determine if our school resource officer’s round struck the shooter,” Cameron said. “The school’s resource officer was uninjured and not struck by any firearm projectile.”
According to Everytown Research, this morning’s incident was the 20th time a gun has been discharged at a U.S. school since the start of 2018.
The number of fatalities today, compared to other shootings like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland last month, will certainly fuel the debate on whether automatic weapons should be legal for civilians.
