This story, published at 4:53 p.m. Sept. 5, 2024, was updated at 8:55 p.m. to provide more information about the incident and to clarify where it occurred.
Two Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students were arrested Tuesday following a shooting in the Wheaton-Glenmont area that did not result in any injuries, according to county police and school officials.
The two boys, ages 15 and 13, are “being charged with multiple charges of first-degree assault” following a shooting in the 2300 block of Glenmont Circle, police said Thursday night in a statement.
On Wednesday, the principals of three nearby schools–Odessa Shannon Middle School and John F. Kennedy and Wheaton high schools–sent a community letter concerning the incident. According to the letter, police made the principals aware Wednesday of a “serious incident” that had occurred Tuesday near the schools.
According to Montgomery County police, officers responded shortly after 3:30 p.m. to a report of a shooting in progress.
Detectives determined the two students were involved in a confrontation with several other juveniles during which “a handgun was displayed,” police said in the statement. The juveniles “ran away and the suspects chased after them.”
A short time later, the 15-year-old suspect shot at the occupants of a vehicle in the area of the 2300 block of Glenmont Circle, police said. The two occupants were not injured. Shell casings were recovered from the scene.
The two suspects are in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Services, police said.
Neither the police statement nor the community letter identified the students or said which school they attended.
The community letter did note that an “investigation and any resulting actions are a police matter, not a school disciplinary matter,” as defined by a memorandum of understanding between MCPS and county police.
MCPS can’t share additional information due to student privacy laws, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), according to the letter.
“While this may understandably pose frustrations, particularly in contexts where transparency is desired, it’s crucial to recognize that these regulations are in place to uphold the safety and privacy rights of all students, even those who may be subjects of a criminal investigation,” the letter said.
In the letter, the principals asked families to “reinforce at home that violence is not ever a good choice to resolve conflict; students should reach out to a trusted adult at home or in school to seek help resolving conflict.”