15-year-old shot in Maryland high school bathroom, 16-year-old student in custody
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(JOPPA, Md.) — A 16-year-old student allegedly shot a 15-year-old boy during an “altercation” in the boys’ bathroom at Joppatowne High School in Joppa, Maryland, on Friday, authorities said.
The 15-year-old was attended to by school nurses and the principal, and then airlifted to a trauma center where he is in serious condition, Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said at a news conference.
The 16-year-old suspect left the school and fled to nearby houses, the sheriff said. He was apprehended “within minutes” thanks to community members, Gahler said.
The shooting unfolded on the suspect’s first day at the school, though it’s now four days into the school year, Gahler said.
It appears one shot was fired in the incident, the sheriff said, noting that the gun has not been recovered.
Authorities don’t know what the apparent argument was about, the sheriff said.
The suspect is known to law enforcement and police have previously responded to calls for service involving the teen, authorities said.
More than 100 police officers responded to the scene in Joppa, about 35 miles northeast of Baltimore, Gahler said.
“We’re just devastated to be a part of this awful group of schools that have experienced things like this,” Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Sean Bulson said. “And we’re going to do everything we can, working with this community, to make sure this absolutely never happens again.”
The school does not have metal detectors, officials said.
(WALDORF, Md.) — The Charles County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland is investigating an incident where an elementary school student was allegedly found hanging on a hook in a school bathroom, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told ABC News on Monday. The injuries to the student were described by his parents as severe bruising on his neck and face.
The alleged incident took place on Friday afternoon at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School in Waldorf, Maryland.
The parents of the student, whose identity has not been disclosed because he is a minor, spoke out about the incident on the condition of anonymity to protect their son’s identity in an interview with the ABC affiliate in Washington D.C., WJLA.
They said that their son is a second grader in Charles County, Maryland, and is recovering from his injuries.
“[School officials] said that he was choking, so we’re thinking that he was at lunch and he’s choking off of food,” the boy’s mother told WJLA.
In her interview with WJLA, the mother also said that the principal told the family their son was “horseplaying” with a fourth grader in the bathroom and that his jacket accidentally got caught on a hook.
C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School Principal Carrie Burke said in a letter to the community that was obtained by ABC News that the incident occurred while two students were “reportedly horseplaying” in the bathroom when one student’s jacket “got caught on a stall door hook,” and “the student was not able to free themselves and the other student involved was also not able to help them.”
“This student left the bathroom to seek help from staff and reported the incident to administrators. Administrators responded and were able to assist, but staff called 911 for additional precautionary medical support,” Burke added.
Burke claimed misinformation was shared in the community amid confusion over the incident but said that “due to privacy reasons,” she is “not able to share any additional details.”
In her interview with WJLA, the boy’s mother cast doubt on the principal’s statement and is demanding more answers from the school.
“[The principal] said before she got him down, he was foaming out the mouth, unconscious, and it was from horse playing … That doesn’t make sense to me,” she told WJLA.
“I want someone to be held accountable for what happened to our child,” she added.
In a letter to the community, Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Superintendent Maria Navarro said the school district is investigating the incident.
Navarro pushed back against claims that the school district is “covering up” the circumstances surrounding this incident.
“I have seen comments online stating that the school and CCPS are covering up what happened. This is not true. The principal nor the school system are hiding anything. Rather, we are sharing what information we can while we conduct a full investigation,” Navarro wrote in the letter.
“The investigation is ongoing; speculation about what did or did not happen as well as the circulation of misinformation impedes the investigation process,” Navarro said, adding that on Friday the school resource officer filed a preliminary report with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
Navarro said in the letter that “any student who is found to violate the CCPS Code of Student Conduct faces disciplinary consequences, and it is imperative that we have all the information so that we can adequately address consequences.”
ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The judge in former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference case has paused all upcoming deadlines in the case, after special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion Friday requesting the pause.
As ABC News previously reported, Smith and the Justice Department are in talks about the best way to wind down the election case and his classified documents case, following Trump’s election victory on Tuesday.
The decision is based on longstanding Department of Justice policy that a sitting president cannot face criminal prosecution while in office, sources said.
“As a result of the election held on November 5, 2024, the defendant is expected to be certified as President-elect on January 6, 2025, and inaugurated on January 20, 2025,” Friday’s filing said. “The Government respectfully requests that the Court vacate the remaining deadlines in the pretrial schedule to afford the Government time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy.”
“By December 2, 2024, the Government will file a status report or otherwise inform the Court of the result of its deliberations. The Government has consulted with defense counsel, who do not object to this request,” said the filing.
Trump last year pleaded not guilty to federal charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election in order to remain in power.
Smith subsequently charged Trump in a superseding indictment that was adjusted to respect the Supreme Court’s July ruling that Trump is entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts undertaken as president.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has been in the process of considering how the case should proceed in light of the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling,
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — A 21-year-old rock climber died after “sustaining major injuries” while climbing Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming, authorities said.
The fall occurred on Sunday shortly before 8 p.m. when Devils Tower Law Enforcement was informed that a rock climber, Stewart Phillip Porter, a 21-year-old from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was rappelling down the second pitch of El Cracko when he fell and sustained “major injuries” in a fall, according to a statement from the National Park Service released on Monday.
“Porter’s partner was stranded and later rescued from the wall of the Tower, with help from Devils Tower Lodge Climbing Guides and Buck Wild Climbing Guides,” officials said.
Over the 100 plus year climbing history at the Tower, there have only been seven climbing deaths, according to the National Park Service.
“While climbing fatalities at Devils Tower are infrequent, it is still inherently dangerous,” park officials said.
The National Park Service took the opportunity to remind the public of proper safety measures to take while climbing.
“Check the local weather forecast before climbing and observe changing weather conditions,” officials said. “Watch for animals (stinging insects, birds, rodents and reptiles all live on the Tower) … [and] Consult multiple sources for information on a route, as suggested gear varies between guidebooks.”
“The majority of climbing accidents and deaths on the Tower occur during the rappel. The National Park Service does not maintain anchors – inspect all anchors and back them up if necessary. Ensure you know the location of your rappel route before you begin,” officials said. “Start rappels over the nose of columns to prevent ropes from jamming in cracks. Avoid knocking loose rock onto climbers below. Many rappels require two ropes; know the distance of your planned rappel before beginning.”
Devils Tower expressed appreciation for Devils Tower Lodge, Buck Wild Climbing Guides, Hulett EMS and the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and monument staff who assisted in search and recovery efforts, and offer condolences to the family, park officials said.
