The Maryland high school student who opened fire at his school on Tuesday is dead, police confirmed during a press conference.
The shooter’s identity has not been released.
The shooting took place around 8 a.m. on March 20, at Great Mills High School in southern Maryland, about 60 miles southeast of Washington, D.C.
St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron said that the shooter was rushed to the hospital but was soon pronounced dead.
Cameron said that the armed school resource officer, who is a sheriff’s deputy, exchanged fire with the shooter when he confronted him.
The officer may have hit the student, though Cameron said an investigation would examine that detail. If the officer’s bullet didn’t hit the shooter, then the shooter killed himself, the sheriff said.
“When the shooting took place, our school resource officer, who was stationed inside the school, was alerted to the event and the shots being fired. He pursued the shooter and engaged the shooter, during which that engagement he fired a round at the shooter,” Cameron said, reported The Associated Press.
“Simultaneously the shooter fired a round as well. So, in the hours to come, in the days to come, through a detailed investigation, we will be able to determine if our SRO’s round struck the shooter.”
On the other hand, the shooter did not hit the resource officer.
Latest on the Maryland school shooting:
– 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
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) March 20, 2018
Sheriff Tim Cameron: Shooter confirmed dead, a male and female student are in hospitals with serious injuries. #GreatMillsHS SRO fired a round, simultaneously the shooter fired a round. SRO is uninjured. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/IPMPPgQGse
— Peggy Fox (@PeggyTV) March 20, 2018
A 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were injured in the Great Mills High School shooting, according to hospital officials. The boy is in good condition at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. The girl is being treated at UM Prince George’s Hospital Center. https://t.co/ZBT1CGpG4D
— Talia Richman (@TaliRichman) March 20, 2018
Before being shot, the shooter left two students wounded, one female and one male.
The female is in critical but stable condition while the male is in critical but “good” condition, Cameron said. The boy is being treated at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, while the female was initially there but was later rushed to UM Prince George’s Hospital Center.
The students were shot in the hallway before first period started. The shooter used a handgun.
“This is what we train for, this is what we prepare for, and this is what we hope we never have to do,” Cameron said.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement that officials are still investigating the shooting.
Governor Larry Hogan issued the following statement following the shooting incident at #GreatMillsHighSchool in St. Mary's County, Maryland: pic.twitter.com/wMUvpPXKT6
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) March 20, 2018
"This is what we train for, this is what we prepare for, and this is what we hope we never have to do." @firstsheriff calls the incident at #GreatMills a nightmare. #WJZ
— Devin Bartolotta (@WJZDevin) March 20, 2018
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the St. Mary County Sheriff’s Office and all of the first responders who swiftly and bravely took action to secure the school,” he said. “The First Lady and I are praying for those who were injured, their families and loved ones, and for the entire Great Mills community as they come together to heal in the wake of this horrific situation.”
The sheriff said that the investigation will include officials “comb[ing] through” social media threats made to the school around a month ago.
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