Report released on Magruder school shooting
DERWOOD, Md. - The after-action report on the January shooting at a Montgomery County high school was released Monday.
Investigators say a student used a ghost gun to shoot another student inside a bathroom at Magruder High School, leaving the 15-year-old victim with life-threatening injuries and locking down the school for hours.
The report was completed by the school district and required by the state.
It summarizes the challenges faced by first responders who said the injured student wasn’t cooperative when asked what happened to him and students who witnessed the shooting never reported it.
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The report goes on to make several recommendations, including providing additional training for school staff when it comes to making 911 calls and what information to provide; reviewing whether police should have key fobs to unlock entry doors at schools; and adding additional "Stop the Bleed" kits in schools as well as training on how to use them.
The kits contain first aid supplies for serious wounds, and the report says one was used to help save the shooting victim’s life.
"The thing that jumped out at me was the note about expanding the Stop the Bleed kits which I’m extremely supportive of," said parent Randall MacGill.
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MacGill is Magruder’s PTSA president but said he was speaking about the report in his capacity as a parent whose son was at the school at the time of the shooting. He said he was impressed and thankful for the response by everyone that day, including school leaders.
"They were doing their best to keep people informed," MacGill said.
Other parents were surprised by the brevity of the report, which is a little over two pages long. Parent Cynthia Simonson said she expected more.
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"There wasn’t a lot of self-reflection about what we could’ve done better or what we will do better in the future," Simonson said. "And there were some very specific areas that as a parent, seem to be missteps that needed to be addressed going forward."
She said she wants to know about the timeline between when the alleged shooter was apprehended and when students locked in classrooms were able to go home.
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"The student was apprehended at 3 p.m. and several hours went by before reunification occurred, so I think that’s one of the details that MCPS could make more clear," Simonson said.
Monday evening, MCPS released the report to parents writing in part: "Although each incident is unique and what has been learned following this event will improve readiness for the future, it remains true that the robust relationship between MCPS and all Montgomery police agencies is foundational to safety in our schools. There is a new agreement that guides our Community Engagement Officer program and training is occurring to strengthen how staff collaborates in times of crisis. We are thankful to have a community in which all of us are ready to partner for safety in an environment that allows for excellence in teaching and learning in our schools."