Teen shoots, wounds Maryland schoolmate before being killed

Associated Press

GREAT MILLS, MD. — A teenager armed with a handgun shot and critically wounded a girl inside a Maryland school on Tuesday and the shooter was killed when a school resource officer confronted him moments after the gunfire erupted. A third student was in good condition after he was shot.

The shooting at Great Mills High School, a month after 17 people were killed at a Florida high school, increased calls for Congress to act on gun violence at schools. This weekend, students across the country plan an antigun violence march on the nation’s capital.

In Maryland, it wasn’t immediately clear whether the shooter took his own life or was killed by the officer’s bullet, St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron said, but the officer was credited with preventing any more loss of life.

Authorities didn’t release a motive, but said they believe the girl and the shooter — 17-yearold Austin Rollins — previously had a relationship. It wasn’t clear how the 14-year-old boy was wounded. The officer, who doubles as a SWAT team member, was unharmed.

Politicians responded swiftly to the shooting about 65 miles southeast of Washington.

“We sympathize. We empathize. We have moments of silence. But we don’t have action,” said the No. 2 U.S. House Democrat, Steny Hoyer, who represents the area in Congress. “Wringing our hands is not enough.”

In this case, it appeared the shooter illegally possessed the gun. In Maryland, a person must be 21 to possess a handgun, unless carrying one is required for employment. It’s not clear how Rollins obtained the weapon.

Attempts to reach his family were unsuccessful.

One of the shooter’s friends, 14-year-old Jordan Hutchinson, and his mother dropped off a condolence card at the Rollins home.

Jordan recalled meeting Austin five years ago during a snowstorm, and building snow forts together.

“Austin was a nice kid. We did sleepovers all the time,” he said.

The sheriff praised the school resource officer, Deputy First Class Blaine Gaskill, a six-year veteran in his first year at the high school, for containing the situation in less than a minute.