Baltimore City Police are investigating a shooting outside Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School in Northeast Baltimore that left one student dead. Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said the victim was a student at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School and the suspect, who was arrested near the scene, a student at another school. Police also recovered what they believe was the weapon.
The suspect was inside the school grounds during dismissal and there was “an encounter between the two that became heated” before the suspect pulled out a firearm and began to fire multiple times at the victim, police said during a press conference Friday afternoon.
School police were outside in the yard with the students. The suspect was arrested within moments of the incident, police said. The victim died at a local hospital from the gunshot wounds.
School began for public school students across the city on August 29.
The high school, which sits along the 3500 block of Hillen Road, canceled all school activities including a football game this evening.
Baltimore police homicide detectives are working with public school police to determine what happened. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott arrived at the school after the shooting because he planned to attend a football game.
“This is a tragedy that almost has me at a loss for words,” Scott said. “This is my school.”
Students need to learn conflict resolution without resorting to violence, Scott said.
School officials said they are offering grief counseling for students who witnessed the event.
“This was beyond tragic, happening on the grounds of a school in the beginning of the school year,” Harrison said.