A Maryland high school saw at least ten fights break out in just one day this week, and two days later a student was caught with a loaded handgun.
The string of fights happened Tuesday and the gun incident occurred Thursday at Charles Herbert Flowers High School near Washington, D.C., prompting an investigation by school administrators.
On Thursday, a student was found in possession of a loaded handgun, the school said in a letter to parents. The student was let in through a side door by another student and quickly confronted and searched by school security, the letter said.
No students or staff were harmed or actively threatened in the handgun incident, the school said.
Police arrested an 18-year-old male suspect in connection with the gun incident. He faces several charges, including having a loaded handgun on his person.
#NEW a @pgcps Flowers HS parent told me they’re glad they didn’t send their child today. School letter says a student entered the bulding w/a loaded handgun – let in a side door by another student but immediately stopped. No injuries. Comes after 10 fights reported Tuesday. https://t.co/30s20qj3e9 pic.twitter.com/mK11Aiiewr
— Stephanie Ramirez (@RamirezReports) December 21, 2023
“Discuss with your child the consequences, such as expulsion, for bringing weapons or anything that resembles a weapon to school. Please encourage your child to always immediately report the sighting of any weapon or suspicious objects on school grounds to a staff member or trusted adult,” Assistant Principal Diedra Smalis Screws wrote in a Thursday letter to parents.
The gun incident comes after the school saw at least ten fights break out two days earlier.
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One large brawl in a school hallway was captured on video and posted to social media. Dozens of students can be seen watching the fight. Another scuffle outside was also caught on video.
The school sent a letter to parents about the fights on Wednesday, informing them about a “concerning series of multiple altercations.”
.@pgcps confirms 10 FIGHTS took place at Charles E. Flowers HS yesterday. Several videos posted under the account “flowerssrampage” show the chaos. Several parents blamed the fighting on the absence of their principal, who his union confirmed, was JUST reinstated today.
🧵 pic.twitter.com/zMz8kF9xfq— Stephanie Ramirez (@RamirezReports) December 21, 2023
“School administration is in communication with the families of individuals involved, and we assure you we are taking action to ensure safety in our school,” the school told parents in the letter.
“In no way do these incidents reflect the values and standards of our school. We must work together to guide our students towards making better decisions and promoting a school climate that values cooperation and understanding. We appreciate your help in reinforcing these principles at home,” the assistant principal wrote.
Students allegedly opened doors to the building, allowing students from other schools to join the fights, some of which were prompted over small things like one student stepping on another’s shoes, according to some parents. Another factor was tension between groups of students from different neighborhoods, one parent said.
“They’re fighting outside in the parking lot where the school buses are,” one concerned parent told Fox 5. “Like, where’s leadership? Where’s security?”
It is not yet clear whether any students were injured in the fights.
Some parents blamed the fights on the absence of the school’s principal, Dr. Gorman Brown, who was placed on administrative leave in October for undisclosed reasons.
Brown was reinstated on Wednesday and will likely return after Christmas break, according to the executive director of the Prince George’s County principals union.
School discipline has been a mounting concern at schools across the country since students returned to in-person learning after the COVID pandemic.