Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT JAYNE: SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THE 56-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS A ASSISTANT. THIS WAS NOT AN ACTIVE SCHOOL SHOOTING NOR SOURCES SAY WAS AT RANDOM. THE SHOOTER HAD A SPECIFIC TARGET. THE SHOOTING AT FREDERICK THE GOERS HIGH SCHOOL IN WEST BALTIMORE CENTER 56-YEAR-OLD STAFF MEMBER TO SHOCK TRAUMA. HE WAS SHOT INSIDE THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE SCHOOL BY A 25-YEAR-OLD RELATIVE OF A STUDENT, POLICE SAY. THEY RUSHED THE VICTIM TO THE HOSPITAL AND WAS TRAILED BY A SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER. >> AN INDIVIDUAL 25 YEARS OF AGE ENTERED THE SCHOOL, NEVER PENETRATED THE SCHOOL BUT GOT TO THE FRONT DOOR. DIFFERENT VESTIBULE OF THE SCHOOL AND WAS CONFRONTED BY A STAFF MEMBER WHO IS THE VICTIM AND AS THEY ENCOUNTERED EACH OTHER, AT THAT POINT, THE SUSPECT SHOT OUR VICTIM. >> THESE WERE NOT STUDENTS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT. THIS WAS AN ADULT MALE THAT CAME TO THE SCHOOL. JAYNE: THE SCHOOL WAS PUT ON LOCKDOWN. STUDENTS WERE DISMISSED 4 X 4. SOURCES SAY THE SUSPECT TARGETED THE VICTIM BECAUSE THE SUSPECTS RELATIVE, A STUDENT HAD AN ENCOUNTER ABOUT THE STUDENT’S BEHAVIOR. SCHOOL POLICE OFFICERS ARRESTED THE SUSPECT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOOTING. CLYDE BOATWRIGHT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL POLICE OFFICERS UNION SAID THE SHOOTING MAKES THEIR CASE THAT SCHOOL SCHOOL OFFICERS SHOULD BE ARMED. >> THIS IS OUR CITY AND THE VIOLENCE THAT HAPPENS IN OUR CITY HAS SPILLED OVER TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. OUR DECISION MAKERS NEED TO GET IT RIGHT. JAYNE: BOATWRIGHT SAYS JUST BY CHANCE, TWO SCHOOL POLICE SUPERVISORS WHO ARE ARMED WERE IN THE SCHOOL AT THE TIME. THE VICTIM IS IN SERIOUS BUT STABLE CONDITI Advertisement Man charged in shooting of Frederick Douglass High School staffer Share Shares Copy Link Copy A Frederick Douglass High School staff member was shot Friday afternoon by an adult visitor to the Baltimore school.Baltimore City police said the shooting was reported shortly after noon. Authorities stressed there were no students involved in the shooting as the shooter or the victim. "These were not students that were involved. This was an adult male who came into the school," Baltimore City Schools Police Chief Akil Hamm said.City police said Neil Davis, 25, got inside the front door of the school and was confronted by a 56-year-old special education assistant, who was shot. The staff member was taken to Shock Trauma and was in serious but stable condition.WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller reported that an ambulance left the school with a school police officer following. "An individual, 25 years old, entered the school, never penetrated the school, but got to the front door, the front vestibule, and was confronted by a staff member, who is the victim," Baltimore police Col. Byron Conaway said. "As they encountered each other, the suspect shot our victim. "Davis was charged with attempted first-degree murder and related firearms violations.Sources told the 11 News I-Team that the suspect went to the school looking for the victim. A Frederick Douglass student related to the suspect apparently had a prior encounter with the victim. Sources told the I-Team that a parent-teacher conference was going on Friday involving the suspect's relative.Davis was also linked to a November 2018 homicide on York Road in which Darelle Yancey was fatally shot. Detectives have obtained a first-degree murder arrest warrant in that case.Anxious family members arrived while the school was on lockdown. Students were dismissed around 1:15 p.m., floor by floor.Parents of students told 11 News outside the school that they learned of the shooting from their children. "A call from my granddaughter and her mother, that's how I found out. The school didn't call. They didn't call any parents," said Belinda Jones, a mother.Students told 11 News that they took shelter and hid in interior rooms. "I called my son. He said he was hiding in a classroom. He said when he heard the gunshots, he took foot," said a mother, Tiki.Students said they saw classmates and adults running after the shooting. "I heard some screaming," said Kyndle Pushia, an 11th-grade student. "At first, I thought it was just people playing, and then I saw the adult running, and I'm, like, OK. No, this is serious. ""I noticed out of the corner of my eye a group of students running," said Shannon Faulkner, an 11th-grade student. "Our teacher, Miss Moore, said, 'Go back in the class.' And she came in and started bawling because of the gunshots, and someone got shot. I think it was like four or five times," said Justin Quick, an 11th-grade student. "And we locked the door behind the classroom and we stayed in there because that was the safest place to be. "Frederick Douglass High School will be closed for students Monday to allow time to plan counseling and support for students, the district tweeted. Staff members are to report on the regular schedule for meetings; counseling will also be available.Sgt. Clyde Boatwright, the president of the Baltimore City Schools Police officers union, said the shooting makes their case that city school police officers should be armed. The school board recently voted to oppose House Bill 31, which would allow city school police officers to carry guns in the buildings. "My officers, it was a fight. To quote one of my officers, 'I thought I had to shoot him,'" Boatwright said. "How does that 10-0 vote look now? When you had an unarmed police officer inside the school who, thankfully, had his supervisors with him at a conference, when they heard gunshots inside the building and they were able to quickly fight a suspect who was shooting in a Baltimore City school. "Boatwright said the school police supervisors were armed. "This is our city, and the violence that happens in our city has spilled over to the school system. Our decision-makers need to get it right," Boatright said.The school district released a statement Friday evening, saying: "Shortly after 12:00 noon today, a special education assistant at Frederick Douglass High School was shot by an adult family member of a student. The shooting took place during a confrontation in the lobby area of the building. On hearing the shots, school police officers responded immediately. The shooter was taken into custody without incident. The school was placed on lockdown while city and school police secured the area. At 1:15, students were dismissed to be with their families and to enable the investigation at the school to be completed. To minimize crowds and any potential confusion at the Mondawmin transit hub, dismissal at nearby secondary schools was staggered, with Coppin Academy closing at 2:15. "The victim is in serious but stable condition at a local hospital. In a message to City Schools families, CEO Sonja Santelises said, 'He has served Baltimore's students for many years, and I ask you all as part of our City Schools community to hold him and his family in your hearts. In a city where violence is too present, our schools must be havens of safety and peace, where confrontation and weapons have no place. I can tell you that both our officers and our injured staff member did everything to ensure the safety of our students. In the coming days, we will have more information about the incident, and we will also review our safety and security protocols for Frederick Douglass High School and all our schools. My highest priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff members, and I and my leadership team will take all possible steps to ensure that our schools are the safe havens they need to be.'" Mayor Catherine Pugh released a statement, saying: "It is totally unacceptable that gun violence has occurred inside a City school and our Police investigators are working to determine not only the circumstances which led to this incident but how a person with a gun was allowed to enter the school. "Our schools need to be safe havens where our children can learn and achieve their potential. We will be conducting a full assessment to determine how best to prevent this type of incident from happening again." Refresh wbaltv.com and our app, and watch 11 News for late-breaking updates.<doc-sep>A 25-year-old gunman shot a staff member at a Baltimore high school on Friday, authorities said. The suspect was taken into custody and the school was placed on lockdown. Police said a 56-year-old hall monitor confronted the gunman in the school's entrance. A confrontation ensued, and the gunman shot the older man. The victim is in serious but stable condition at a local hospital, police said. The suspect was apprehended by police within minutes. Police said he did not make it into the school before his arrest. All of the students are safe, and classes would be dismissed early so police could continue their investigation, Baltimore City Schools said. Students told CBS Baltimore they saw classmates running down the hallway after the shooting. Others said they didn't witness anything. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he was closely monitoring the situation. "The state stands ready to provide any support necessary to the school, community, law enforcement, and first responders," Hogan tweeted. This story is developing. Please check back for updates.<doc-sep>
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A Frederick Douglass staff member was hospitalized Friday night after being shot at the high school. It was chaotic outside Frederic Douglass High School after shots were fired in the school’s lobby. Police said that a 25-year-old man tried to enter the school around noon but encountered 56-year-old Michael Marks, a special education assistant. That’s when officers said the suspect pulled out a gun and shot marks in the lower torso. The suspect was quickly taken into custody. Robert Ames, a friend of the special ed. Assistant, said that he rushed to the hospital to visit Marks. “I was shocked,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it. I’ve known this guy forever.” Students were on lockdown for about an hour before being dismissed around 1:15 p.m. City Schools said that the suspect is a family member of a Frederick Douglass student. President of the School Police Union, Clyde Boatwright, said that coincidentally, there was a conference with Police School supervisors in the school who heard the shots and made a rapid arrest. Last month, the school board voted against arming school police officers. Boatwright said that the shooting proves his point: That city school officers need to be armed. “If they were not here and our unarmed police office had to confront his gunman, what would we of had?” asked Boatwright. “We would have had more casualties.” City Schools CEO Sonja Santelises said that Marks had “served Baltimore students for many years, and I ask you all as part of our City Schools community to hold him and his family in your hearts.” She also went on to say that schools must be havens of safety and peace without weapons and confrontation and that they would review all security protocols. “He’s always been a friend to everybody,” said Ames. “but he’s always been about the kids. He’s always helping kids.” Mayor Catherine Pugh tweeted out that gun violence is unacceptable in schools and also said that they’ll be conducting a full assessment to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Statement on shooting at Frederick Douglass High School. pic.twitter.com/MSwHGTEbjZ — Mayor Catherine Pugh (@MayorPugh50) February 9, 2019 Police have said this is an active investigation. Mayor Catherine Pugh tweeted out that gun violence is unacceptable in schools and also said that they’ll be conducting a full assessment to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook