The incident at a park in Greenbelt, Maryland, where gunfire erupted among a gathering of high school students skipping school, resulted in the wounding of five males aged 16 to 18. One victim was critically injured while the others were in stable condition, according to Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers.
Police were searching for one suspect but indicated that there could be others involved, although no motive had been established at the time of the press conference. Chief Bowers condemned the senseless violence, emphasizing the need for action to address such incidents in society.
The gathering at the park reportedly involved 500 to 600 students from at least two high schools, convening for what is known as "senior skip day," a tradition where students in their final year of high school skip classes. Authorities responded to the sudden assembly, which was organized via social media, with about 20 officers present before the shooting occurred. Despite the chaotic situation, officers were able to provide immediate first aid to the victims before ambulances arrived.
The incident highlights the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States, with 120 mass shootings occurring in the first 110 days of the year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Greenbelt, a city of approximately 24,000 people located northeast of Washington, D.C., now grapples with the aftermath of this tragic event.
