BALTIMORE — A Mervo High School student was shot and killed on campus during dismissal Friday afternoon.
Police identified the victim as 17-year-old Jeremiah Brogden.
A Twitter account for Mervo football tweeted about his death.
Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the loss of our student athlete, Jermiah Brogden. Senseless and unexplainable. Please keep the Mervo staff and students and his family in your prayers.
— Mervo H.S. Football (@MustangGang410) September 3, 2022
Police said the suspected shooter was a student from another Baltimore City Public School. He was arrested and a gun was recovered after a foot pursuit shortly after the shooting.
According to police, the 17-year-old suspect has been charged with 1st Degree Murder and is being held without bail at a Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services facility.
Baltimore Police confirmed they got a call for a shooting at 2:53pm. at the school on Hillen Road in Northeast Baltimore.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said that as students were leaving the school, a person who was outside of the school approached the Mervo student, and after an exchange, pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots.
The Mervo student was taken to the hospital where he died shortly before 3:30 p.m.
This is an extremely tragic situation, beyond tragic, happening on the grounds of a school, in the beginning of the school year," Commissioner Harrison said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to this victim’s family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Baltimore City Schools, the CEO and all of the faculty here at Mervo High School, and all of the students."
Harrison was at the scene with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, a Mervo High School alumnus, and Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Sonja Santelises.
"This is a tragedy that almost has me at a loss at words," Mayor Scott said. "This is the first week of school, and as everyone knows, this is my school. When we have a loss of life in this way, I want us all to take a moment to think about what that really means. A school full of children are crying yet again because they lost another classmate."
Dr. Sonja Santelises said that this deadly shooting is a heartbreaking way to end what was a successful for week of school.
"This is not how I thought I would be ending the first week, which has been by far and large a success opening of schools," she said. "Our hearts go out to the family that has just received the news about their child."
Dr. Sonja Santelises also said there will be counseling at Mervo High School through next week for students who needed it.
"It is OK for them to be upset," Dr. Sonja Santelises said. "It is OK for them to have to talk to people because this is not normal for any of us. We will continue to provide that grief counseling."
Officials said the school's safety plan was in place and executed.
Baltimore City Police Officers were outside the school during dismissal, saw the suspect and chased him down and made the arrest before others were injured.
"I want to say a special thank you to the Baltimore City School police who were out there with the students, who observed this by hearing the gunshots, observing the suspect fleeing and had the awareness to follow and give pursuit and catch him before anyone else could be injured, and made this arrest without incident or injury to that suspect or themselves, and recovered the firearm in the process, Harrison said.
Baltimore City Public Schools released this statement on social media:
"Today there was a tragic shooting outside Mervo during regular dismissal. One of our students was taken to a hospital where they succumbed to their injuries. Our thoughts are with the family & Mervo community. We will have counselors at the school next week for students & staff."
Today there was a tragic shooting outside Mervo during regular dismissal. One of our students was taken to a hospital where they succumbed to their injuries. Our thoughts are with the family & Mervo community. We will have counselors at the school next week for students & staff.
— Baltimore City Public Schools (@BaltCitySchools) September 2, 2022
"I let the dogs out a little afterwards and I smelled gun residue and it smelled like firecrackers," said Veronica Walters, who lives nearby.
Walters said she saw the chaos of students running and screaming.
"I just happened to come outside and I saw the kids just running and then someone said someone's shooting, someone's shooting," she said. "So, I mean it's scary."
This is the second act of violence at Mervo High School this year.
In April, three students got into a fight in the cafeteria. Two of them were stabbed.
Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to call police at (410) 396-2100. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the Metro Crime Stoppers tip-line at 1-866-7LOCK-UP.
