- A 15-year-old student was found shot in a school bathroom at Magruder High School in Rockville, Maryland.
- The shooting occurred on Friday afternoon, prompting the school to go on lockdown.
- Police identified the shooting suspect as Steven Alston Jr. He was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder.
A 17-year-old Maryland student was arrested and charged after one of his classmates was found shot in the school bathroom at Col. Zadok Magruder High School in Rockville.
The victim, a 15-year-old who remains unidentified, was found with a gunshot wound in one of the school's bathrooms by a security guard. He was taken to the hospital for surgery and was in critical condition as of Saturday evening, police said.
Police identified Steven Alston Jr., 17, as the suspect in the shooting, according to a press release from the Mongomery County Department of Police.
School security became aware of the shooting at approximately 12:53 p.m. on Friday, according to an earlier press release. The school was put on lockdown as police and SWAT members searched the building.
Alston Jr. was found "inside a classroom and taken into custody shortly after 3 p.m. A privately manufactured firearm (ghost gun) was found inside the school, which is believed to be the gun used by Alston, Jr.," according to the statement.
Police added there was no evidence that the suspect was targeting any other students or school personnel.
Alston Jr. is being held without bond and charged as an adult with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a dangerous weapon on school property, and possession of a firearm by a minor.
In a letter to parents on Friday, Magruder High School Principal Leroy Evans wished the victim a "speedy recovery." Students will have Monday, January 24 off for a pre-existing planning day for teachers, according to the Mongomery Schools website.
Monifa McKnight, the interim superintendent for Montgomery County Public Schools, said in a statement that the incident "weighs heavily on our community's sense of safety."
"I strongly believe students and staff deserve to learn and work in a safe environment. Our students must feel safe in order to learn effectively. We must make it clear that violence and weapons have absolutely no place in our schools," McKnight said.