A Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School student allegedly brought a gun onto campus Monday and then fled the building after being seen with it, according to a letter sent to the B-CC community from Principal Shelton Mooney.
The letter, which was sent to families at 2 p.m., stated that earlier in the day the school had received a report about the student having a gun. The letter did not share who saw the alleged weapon.
“School staff, MCPS Safety and Security staff, and [Montgomery County police] officers immediately began collaborating to identify the student, investigate the incident, and determine appropriate next steps,” Mooney wrote.
According to the letter, the next steps included determining safety measures for the rest of the school day and coordinating with police on the timing of community notification about the incident “to not impact their immediate and ongoing investigation or responsive actions.”
Montgomery County Public Schools spokesperson Chris Cram said Monday afternoon that officials know the student’s identity. Cram did not respond to questions about why the student brought the firearm to school.
In the letter, Mooney wrote the student allegedly had a “weapon” on campus and did not specify what type of weapon. Cram confirmed the weapon was a gun.
For the remainder of the school day, the school had an increased security presence “out of an abundance of caution,” Mooney wrote. That means the number of security guards and staff assigned for monitoring was increased, according to Cram.
County police did not immediately respond to MoCo360’s request for comment Monday afternoon.
“We are committed to providing a safe school environment for all our students and staff and threats against our school will not be tolerated. The possession of weapons on school grounds is illegal, dangerous, and disruptive to school operations,” Mooney wrote to families.
In the letter, Mooney also encouraged parents to speak with their children about the incident and the issue of weapons on school campuses. He noted that bringing a weapon to school could be “subject to prosecution by law enforcement.”
Mooney also advised families and students to speak up and say something if they see a student with a weapon. He shared that the Safe Schools Maryland tip line can be found on the back of every student ID card. Tips can be anonymous.
“Please do not hesitate to share anything you believe may be a concern to our school community,” he wrote.