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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
April 29, 2026

Dear Blake Families,

Today’s message is one we hoped we would never have to share with our community. Our goal every day is to ensure that every student learns in an environment that is safe, positive, and has a sense of belonging. As confirmed by our police partners, a physical altercation in our parking lot seemingly escalated into a gun incident that occurred during lunch and resulted in one of our students being injured. The alleged suspect is a young adult, non-MCPS student.

During this incident, the Community Engagement Officer (CEO) and our school security staff engaged the suspect, disarming and apprehending them. The suspect was immediately arrested by the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD), who were on site.  Based on our knowledge of a suspect being arrested and to support the movement of students on the exterior and interior of the building into a safe location, we immediately moved into a HOLD.  Additional Montgomery County Police arrived within minutes and conducted a thorough investigation of the school to ensure the campus was safe prior to dismissal. Their investigation of the interior of the building concluded at 1:30 p.m. and we elected to remain in a HOLD to support an effective dismissal process.

Several Blake students were involved in this altercation. This behavior not only violates the MCPS Student Code of Conduct but it also stands in direct opposition to our core values, which prioritize the safety and well-being of each student and staff member. We want to acknowledge the feelings of fear and anxiety that each of you experienced as you received news of a shooting on our campus. Our hearts are with every student, staff member, and family as we navigate this horrible situation and the restoration of safety in the days and weeks to come.

We want to express our deep gratitude and respect to our school security who intervened immediately and went above and beyond to ensure the safety of students. The immediate responsiveness of our CEO and collaboration with MCPD exemplified outstanding teamwork during an extremely unfortunate situation. We want to thank our students who were responsive to our safety protocols by immediately moving into a HOLD, and our staff who supported and encouraged them as they remained in a HOLD for an extended period.

Our thoughts remain with the injured student and their family, and with all members of the Blake community who are processing today’s events. We can share that he is in stable condition.

To ensure our staff have access to counseling resources and are prepared to support students, we will be having a three-hour delayed opening for students. This means that students will report to school by 10:45 a.m. and will go directly to their first-period class. The first period will serve as an extended advisory to ensure that students have time to access mental health or support resources. These resources will remain at the school throughout the day and will be available for as long as is necessary. Please encourage your child to access these additional resources or reach out on their behalf, and we will make sure that their school counselor checks in with them.

Today’s events require us to carefully review our processes and make modifications to strengthen campus safety. Therefore, beginning tomorrow, April 30, the following safety measures will be implemented;

We will no longer be permitting students to eat lunch outside of the building for the remainder of the school year. This will support enhanced student supervision and ensure that no unauthorized visitors have the opportunity to access our students.

No outside food deliveries will be permitted. Moving forward if a student elects to order food via DoorDash or Uber Eats, the driver will be turned away.

There will be increased visibility through a school-wide supervisory process in which all staff will have responsibilities for enhancing school operations and strengthening safety measures.

We want to ask for your help in communicating these upgrades to your children and encouraging them to honor them in the interest of school community safety. The key to how we respond to this situation is by working together as one team. Each of us plays a role in the safety of our community and when we work as a collective team, our students thrive in a safe learning environment.

We want to invite you to a community meeting tomorrow, April 30 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium to discuss the incident, our response, and to answer any questions that you may have.

Thomas W. Taylor Ed.D. M.B.A

Superintendent of Schools

Ahmed Adelekan
Principal, James Hubert Blake High School

[/quote]

This is a good letter. And the security enhancements outlined fly in the face of all the people who said, "What more could MCPS and the BOE possibly be doing???"[/quote]

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