BALTIMORE, Md. — On Friday night, a Frederick Douglass High School staff member was in the hospital after being shot in the school entrance.
Police said the suspect went to the school with a plan to shoot and kill the victim.
The 56-year-old victim was able to keep the suspect from getting into the school until two-armed Baltimore City School Police Officers stopped him.
Just three weeks ago, the Baltimore City School Board voted unanimously to maintain that school police officers keep their guns in a lock box during school hours.
READ MORE: Balt. City School Board votes down bill to arm school police
The two supervisors were allowed to have their guns because they were on campus for a meeting and aren’t assigned to specific schools.
Sgt. Clyde Boatwright, the President of the Baltimore City School Police Union, is again calling on the school board to reconsider that vote.
“Two police officers did have weapons and they physically engaged into a struggle with him, and hats off to the victim who fought for his life. He fought and fought until the police officers got there and they continued to struggle. They were able to disarm him first, subdue him and then take him into custody.”
The two supervisors were in the main office when the shooting started.
“Had the other two officers not been present the unarmed police officer would not have been able to make it to his weapon,” said Boatwright. “This gentleman who was there to kill would have been able to fire indiscriminately without being stopped. The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
Marietta English, the President of the Baltimore Teachers Union, had just finished a safety task force meeting and was heading out the door when she heard the news.
“We were actually talking about training for teachers and students and staff and community,” said English. “All kinds of training that we need mental health issues and how we train our staff on these issues.”
The shooter never made it into the school, for more information on the shooting and reaction click here.
