Montgomery College’s Rockville campus was placed on lockdown for a report of an off-campus shooting Friday afternoon, according to a post on social media.
About 30 minutes later at 5:25 p.m., the college announced that the lockdown had been lifted and there was no longer a threat to the campus at 51 Mannakee St., but “a heavy police presence” would remain in the area of the campus, Route 355 and College Parkway.
In addition, campus safety officers will maintain a heightened presence on campus for the rest of the evening, the college said on social media.
Following the shooting, local police searched the campus and surrounding area for two suspects who fled on foot after they were allegedly involved in a shooting that occurred on College Parkway, according to the college. Police advised Montgomery College public safety officers of the incident and their search for the suspects on campus.
“A lockdown was initiated to secure the campus under an abundance of caution and to notify the campus of a potential threat,” the college said.
According to police transmissions, police responded to a report of a shooting at about 4:30 p.m. Two 911 callers reported the incident, saying they had heard people yelling and one person had been shot and was lying on the ground, according to the transmissions.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found one person shot and the individual was later transported to a local hospital, according to transmissions.
Witnesses at the scene said they saw one Black male with dreadlocks wearing a navy hoodie, black pants with orange stripes and a black satchel bag, according to transmissions.
Police set up a perimeter around the campus and searched for suspects with the help of K9 officers and dogs, according to transmissions.
By around 5:17 p.m., police said they had cleared the campus and advised the college could lift the lockdown, according to transmissions.
According to the college’s social media post, police were searching for two suspects. One was described as a Hispanic male about 30 years old wearing a white T-shirt and gray pants. The other suspect was described as an African American person about 20 years old wearing a gray hoodie and black pants with an orange strip and wearing a black bag, according to the post.
Rockville City police officers responded to the shooting and are actively investigating the incident. “The public should avoid the area,” police said in a social media post.