Report of shooting at or near wootton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only issue I have with metal detectors is the amount of things students are ALLOWED to have that will set them off. It will take like 45-60 minutes to screen kids one by one to enter the building like a TSA process

At JR HS (NW DC) it takes ~ an hour to get students in in the morning

I’m not sure the lives saved through metal detectors would exceed the lives lost through depriving HS kids of an hour of sleep. There’s a lot of evidence showing that decreased sleep for HS kids leads to adverse health outcomes including car accidents.

Additional security officers and SROs seems like a no brainer to me and has th added benefit of allowing them to reopen bathroom.

They also need a better solution for kids that have criminal cases and violent histories. Like maybe virtual school.

Stop it with the SRO's all they do is bring more drugs to schools, prey on young girls and are worthless wanna be cops. Nothing statistacally proven they help.

Better off with metal detectors.

There is no way they would have stopped this or any other gun issue.

We need gun reform in this country unless that happens nothing will change.

MCPS can't do much about gun reform, but it can bring back SROs, which the Principals have wanted, and metal detectors. At minimum, SROs can develop good relationships with some of the more troubled kids. Who knows, maybe if Wootton had SROs instead of a CEO who was at Lakeside ES this kid would have reached out to the SROs about the bullying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only issue I have with metal detectors is the amount of things students are ALLOWED to have that will set them off. It will take like 45-60 minutes to screen kids one by one to enter the building like a TSA process

At JR HS (NW DC) it takes ~ an hour to get students in in the morning

I’m not sure the lives saved through metal detectors would exceed the lives lost through depriving HS kids of an hour of sleep. There’s a lot of evidence showing that decreased sleep for HS kids leads to adverse health outcomes including car accidents.

Additional security officers and SROs seems like a no brainer to me and has th added benefit of allowing them to reopen bathroom.

They also need a better solution for kids that have criminal cases and violent histories. Like maybe virtual school.

Stop it with the SRO's all they do is bring more drugs to schools, prey on young girls and are worthless wanna be cops. Nothing statistacally proven they help.

Better off with metal detectors.

There is no way they would have stopped this or any other gun issue.

We need gun reform in this country unless that happens nothing will change.

MCPS can't do much about gun reform, but it can bring back SROs, which the Principals have wanted, and metal detectors. At minimum, SROs can develop good relationships with some of the more troubled kids. Who knows, maybe if Wootton had SROs instead of a CEO who was at Lakeside ES this kid would have reached out to the SROs about the bullying.

I agree on the SROs - their jobs were all about building relationships with young people, particularly those who need caring adults in their lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only issue I have with metal detectors is the amount of things students are ALLOWED to have that will set them off. It will take like 45-60 minutes to screen kids one by one to enter the building like a TSA process

At JR HS (NW DC) it takes ~ an hour to get students in in the morning

I’m not sure the lives saved through metal detectors would exceed the lives lost through depriving HS kids of an hour of sleep. There’s a lot of evidence showing that decreased sleep for HS kids leads to adverse health outcomes including car accidents.

Additional security officers and SROs seems like a no brainer to me and has th added benefit of allowing them to reopen bathroom.

They also need a better solution for kids that have criminal cases and violent histories. Like maybe virtual school.

Stop it with the SRO's all they do is bring more drugs to schools, prey on young girls and are worthless wanna be cops. Nothing statistacally proven they help.

Better off with metal detectors.

There is no way they would have stopped this or any other gun issue.

We need gun reform in this country unless that happens nothing will change.

While I support common sense gun safety laws, Maryland already has a lot of those. And last night, a teen at the Silver Spring Metro stabbed three other teenagers. In Europe, running over people with cars has become a substitute for shooting people. Ultimately, this is a people problem, not a gun problem.

It’s an easy access to guns problem.

“Easy” access to firearms is an unfounded slogan. Lawful access to firearms, especially in Maryland, is anything but “easy.” Criminal access to contraband is — well — already criminal.

Clearly a child had easy access to a gun.

And that access (whether “easy” or not) was already unlawful. As was the access to and possession of ammunition. As was the carrying of the firearm. As was the presence of the firearm on school property. As was the criminal misuse of the firearm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Joint Letter from Taylor and Rivera-Oven:

Good afternoon MCPS families,

We are heartbroken over Monday’s tragic event at Thomas S. Wootton High School. The Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools are committed to providing a safe, equitable and inclusive school community. When our values are threatened by overt acts of violence, we are called to come together. Our thoughts are with the injured student, their family, friends and the entire Wootton community. This should never happen in a space dedicated to learning, growing and community.

In this very difficult time, we are committed to providing aid to our students, staff and families. Wootton High School is open today to ensure that students have access to mental health and community support. Being together allows us to provide trauma-informed counseling, mental health resources, and a familiar environment where students and staff can process their feelings and begin to heal alongside their peers and trusted adults. We are also helping families as they guide their children through this process. We deeply appreciate the commitment of the staff who are tirelessly supporting students.

The safety and well-being of every student and staff member is our highest priority. The Board and MCPS remain unwavering in our commitment to maintaining safe, secure and supportive learning environments in all of our schools. We continue to work closely with law enforcement, mental health professionals, and community partners to protect our students and ensure our schools remain places where students can learn, grow and thrive.

During this painful time, we will continue to stand together to provide care, support and safety for all.

Montgomery County Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools

Thomas W. Taylor, Ed.D., M.B.A. Grace Rivera-Oven

Superintendent of Schools President on behalf of The Board of Education

Pretty much a nothingburger that regurgitated platitudes and gave no new information.

No - sorry - not every kid’s safety is a priority for public schools anymore. There is no actual ability to do anything about bad behavior. It preys on the kids who stay in line.

[Anonymous]

Why did MCPS put this kid at Wootton, or for that matter, any MCPS school other than a highly secure one for kids with violent tendencies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Return SROs - principals NEVER wanted them to be removed. County Executives did it anyways.

They have one. He just happened to not be on site.

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2026/02/1-shot-inside-wootton-high-school-in-rockville/

That's because it's not an SRO but a CEO. A CEO does not stay inside the school nor walk the halls unless invited by the Principal. A CEO is shared with the cluster.

Bring back SROs.

No, we don't need police in schools and they don't really stop shit like this from happening, anyway. See Uvalde or Parkland, for example.

Yes, we do. A good officer could shoot the shooter. There are plenty of situations where they do step in and resolve it. The two you are choosing are the worst but there are many times SRO's save lives. Some schools have an officer sitting outside a lot of time. Ours do.

All schools needs metal detectors. The school is huge. An officer cant cover the whole school. They would not have prevented a one off shooting targeting a specific individual. A police officer may be able to reduce the amount of people killed in a mass shooting but most times, they won’t be able to stop a shooting from happening in the first place.

Sign the petition
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1259637.page

The WUSA story said that the student had a ghost gun. Not an expert here, but wouldn't a metal detector be useless in that instance? (obviously it would prevent other firearms from getting through....just saying that I don't know if it would have made a difference here).

I personally think that re-instating the SRO program and focusing on prevention is the most critical need here.

Ammo casings likely would set off the alarm but yeah

The outside of the gun is all polymer but the inside is still metal. Otherwise it would fall apart

Please, if you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t embarrass yourself.

“The outside of the gun is all polymer.@. This is not true. Typically the frame is polymer and other parts including the slide assembly are metal.

“The inside is still metal.” Not necessarily.

“Otherwise it would fall apart.” It isn’t the material that holds the firearm together.

“Ammo casings.” Pointless. As noted upthread there is plenty of metal even in an unloaded polymer framed firearm to set off a metal detector. The “ghost” moniker refers to putative traceability, not detectability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wootton should be closed today. Utter $hit show today. There are no instructions today. Teachers and staff are angry that Taylor did not closed the school.

Teachers are not counselors. They are NOT mental health providers. Schools are not mental health facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did MCPS put this kid at Wootton, or for that matter, any MCPS school other than a highly secure one for kids with violent tendencies?

Wootton is this student's designated home school according to the arrest record.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only issue I have with metal detectors is the amount of things students are ALLOWED to have that will set them off. It will take like 45-60 minutes to screen kids one by one to enter the building like a TSA process

At JR HS (NW DC) it takes ~ an hour to get students in in the morning

I’m not sure the lives saved through metal detectors would exceed the lives lost through depriving HS kids of an hour of sleep. There’s a lot of evidence showing that decreased sleep for HS kids leads to adverse health outcomes including car accidents.

Additional security officers and SROs seems like a no brainer to me and has th added benefit of allowing them to reopen bathroom.

They also need a better solution for kids that have criminal cases and violent histories. Like maybe virtual school.

Stop it with the SRO's all they do is bring more drugs to schools, prey on young girls and are worthless wanna be cops. Nothing statistacally proven they help.

Better off with metal detectors.

There is no way they would have stopped this or any other gun issue.

We need gun reform in this country unless that happens nothing will change.

While I support common sense gun safety laws, Maryland already has a lot of those. And last night, a teen at the Silver Spring Metro stabbed three other teenagers. In Europe, running over people with cars has become a substitute for shooting people. Ultimately, this is a people problem, not a gun problem.

It’s an easy access to guns problem.

“Easy” access to firearms is an unfounded slogan. Lawful access to firearms, especially in Maryland, is anything but “easy.” Criminal access to contraband is — well — already criminal.

Clearly a child had easy access to a gun.

And that access (whether “easy” or not) was already unlawful. As was the access to and possession of ammunition. As was the carrying of the firearm. As was the presence of the firearm on school property. As was the criminal misuse of the firearm.

The criminal is also whoever gave him the gun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wootton should be closed today. Utter $hit show today. There are no instructions today. Teachers and staff are angry that Taylor did not closed the school.

Teachers are not counselors. They are NOT mental health providers. Schools are not mental health facilities.

It is standard operating procedures to have counselors on hand and allow the kids who want to come in talk about it.

Keep your kid home but it’s not business as usual

[Anonymous]

I try to discuss mental health and it's challenges with my students. Back in November during Suicide Awareness Week I shared with my classes about my struggles with mental health and depression and my multiple suicide attempts over the last few years. It caught them off guard because I'm known as one of if not the most positive and enthusiastic teachers in my school. I let them know that you can't easily tell who is struggling and despite my smiles, I go to therapy multiple times a week and live every day with the thought that it could be my last. The students all said it was very helpful and they appreciated it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did MCPS put this kid at Wootton, or for that matter, any MCPS school other than a highly secure one for kids with violent tendencies?

Wootton is this student's designated home school according to the arrest record.

I guess ankle monitors prevent school shootings?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I try to discuss mental health and it's challenges with my students. Back in November during Suicide Awareness Week I shared with my classes about my struggles with mental health and depression and my multiple suicide attempts over the last few years. It caught them off guard because I'm known as one of if not the most positive and enthusiastic teachers in my school. I let them know that you can't easily tell who is struggling and despite my smiles, I go to therapy multiple times a week and live every day with the thought that it could be my last. The students all said it was very helpful and they appreciated it.

That's raw. Don't do what you are thinking.

[Anonymous]

Metal detectors in schools. Now.

Why are democrats so bad with money?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Metal detectors in schools. Now.

Why are democrats so bad with money?

Why don’t Republicans want to pay adequate taxes to properly fund our schools and other programs?

We both can play this game