DATE: December 9, 2021
CONTACT: Diane Richardson
Media Relations Office
(301) 609-6557 or (240) 682-1658
On December 9 at 11:39, a call was received at the 9-1-1 call center indicating a shooting had occurred at General Smallwood Middle School. The school was immediately placed in a lockdown status. Officers arrived, quickly entered the school, and observed nothing out of the ordinary. As officers continued their search, they learned the call was made from a student who was inside the school. Officers continued searching the building and subsequently ensured the students and staff were safe after they determined a shooting had not occurred. The student who made the call was located and their parents were contacted. It is not immediately clear why the student called 9-1-1. The school resource officer, along with school administrators and school security staff, will continue an investigation and the case will be reviewed by the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is committed to the safety and well-being of students and staff. Parents are urged to talk with their children about the dangers of making false reports and the consequences of doing so. The investigation is ongoing.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.