Election Season Always Means School Shooting Season. Joppatowne High School Harford County, Maryland

another school shooting in America clearly it's election season We are following a breaking news story in Harford County there is a police presence at a school in japat town our Jessica Albert is at the scene with more details and Jessica what are you learning at this hour well we have some new information in Nikki from the Harford County Sheriff's Office and from the Harford County School District we have learned that today they say that uh the school district says that there was a fight in a bathroom which led to a student who brought a weapon into the school and used it on another student the release doesn't say what that weapon is but they say that that has what that is what has prompted this large police presence here at japa Town High School um I was just talking to a student uh not too long ago he literally just did an interview with me who told me that he was inside of a bathroom at the time of this fight that's where he says this fight occurred and he said says that there were two students that were fighting over something one he told me pulled out a gun and shot the other that student told me that he HD in a bathroom as other students came and gathered around uh that student that was shot and uh obviously this is very traumatic for the community here because we are just 4 days into the school year here at japat toown high school I was actually here on the first day of classes so this is a brand new school year for an incident like this to happen in the schools I also was just checking my ex I checked the Harford County Sheriff's Office 7 minutes ago they put out a tweet that says ple be please be advised this is an isolated incident not an active shooter avoid the area the reunification Center for parents to pick up their students is at Good Shepard Presbyterian church and that is what I am actually standing in front of right now this field has been uh filled on and off with what appears to be students and their parents parents picking up their students when I first got here to the school I was seeing parents parking further down the street because there's quite a bit of a traffic backup because of this incident I was seeing parents Park their cars AC down the street and run here very concerned about their students I know I was talking with you earlier Nikki where I was telling you I was actually already in Harford County today doing a in the Harford County doing a story with the county executive when I got a call about 15 minutes before our interview was scheduled telling me that the county executive had to cancel on me because he had to come to this incident and Jessica it was about I want to say maybe a half hour ago when the Harford County Sheriff's Office also released information about responding to this incident and while you're saying that it is isolated I think it speaks to the severity of the incident seeing that the county executive had to cut that interview short to go there now as you were out there on the ground after talking to students in that area do you get the impression that the area is controlled and that everyone is safe so we have not gotten any official updates about that Nikki but I did talk to a person that I walked past while I was coming up uh to this scene he told me he was a former student he said that he had heard that the suspect the person that may have brought this weapon into the school was on the run I have not gotten that confirmed by the sheriff's office at this point they haven't released any details about that um so we're working to learn that right right now all right Jessica thank you so much and stay with WJZ online and streaming at CBS news Baltimore and on air as we continue to monitor this developing situation beginning at WJZ at 4 and right now we're getting an in theair look um at japat town where there's a large police presence right now um we're getting a view from the sky we just spoke to our Harford County Community reporter Jessica Albert who just informed us that police have confirmed that this was an isolated incident involving two students one of them pulled out a weapon and then shot off um that weapon and that is when police and responders rushed to the scene at this moment we still do not know if the area is fully contained however as Jessica was telling us earlier she did speak to a student who had to hide in a bathroom um after this incident happened and Jessica are you with me right now can you tell me if there is a perimeter at this time in that area yes Nikki there is still a massive police presence here there are First Responders law enforcement ambulances a helicopter hovering all throughout this area here along japa Farm Road around uh japa Town high school like you just said I talked to a student who says that this fight that uh school officials are saying happened actually occurred in a bathroom he said it was between two students and one of the students pulled out a weapon that the student I talked to told me it was a gun and shot the other student that student said that he had just gone into the bathroom to use the bathroom and ended up having to hide in a stall as this all played out he that student was actually very uh detailed in what he told me he said that he saw Blood on the student that had been shot we have a little bit of the interview that I did with him I believe that we can have you listen to right now I I didn't really think nothing of it because I just thought that a fight was going to happen but then like as soon as I know it the kid is reaching into his bag and then he and then I just hear a pop and then I just freeze up so I didn't know what I didn't know what to really do so I just hid I hid in the St until it was safe to come out and then when everyone see and then when everyone left I I kind of just stayed there for like a little bit and then I left too and then it's like there's just a whole like in the hallway there was just a whole crowd of like kids just crowning around the kid who got shot and you can hear from that student how traumatizing and scary that incident was we checked in with him to see if he was okay my photographer and I after we did that interview he actually just walked up to us he checked with his parents and he spoke to us about what occurred inside the school right now we're getting limited details from officials but like I said just a few minutes ago when I was talking with you Nikki the Harford County Sheriff's office has tweeted out saying that this was an isolated incident it's not an active shooter which is what this came down as uh at first they are telling people to avoid this area because there is a lot of traffic a lot of First Responders that are blocking the road here japa Farm Road uh and uh they're also telling parents that if they want to reunite with their students they can do so in this field that you see behind me this is good Shepherd Presbyterian church again Nikki I was here 3 days ago Tuesday for the first day of school County Executive uh the sheriff all types of uh Harford County leaders were out here greeting the students on their first day they had cheerleaders they were celebrating the start of the school year the student that I just talked to I believe that young man's name was Francis he told me that never would he think four days three days into the new school year that there would be a shooting at his school especially when that he tells me he witnessed himself and Jessica as you're talking about this being the first week I mean in Georgia on Wednesday you know we're reporting another school shooting just 3 days into the school year um which is also disturbing that in Winder Georgia and in thinking about that as you're saying that parents are arriving to pick up there are a lot of people right now speculating as to what happened on social media we so many reports are coming down exactly what happened but we can confirm that this was an isolated um incident despite some of the reports that we've been hearing on social media japat town uh High School confirming that and as you're saying police confirming that however at this point does it appear like they are looking for anyone in particular you mentioned there's two people who are involved in in this does it does it seem like they're looking for someone especially as they hear the chopper high above you yeah yes and Nikki I I don't want to I'm not sure if this is a media helicopter it could be uh but I know that I have seen a helicopter in my time out here that has actually been circling the area uh so it could be a media helicopter it could be a police helicopter but I continually keep seeing uh law enforcement make their way to and from the scene here uh so it it appears with the amount of police that are here that there is still something going on here but um information has been limited obviously with what uh officials have been wanting to release uh the Harford County Sheriff actually did just post something else on Twitter they said that there's a media staging area uh for the japa Town High School incident that will be at the Redner's Market on japa Farm Road so that's actually way further up the street than when where we are and I'm I'm also seeing other media uh making their way to this area too so I'm not sure uh if they're going to keep their media staging area there but I'm hoping that because they are setting up this meeting a uh staging area that they are going to give us more updates about what is going on here more official information uh an update on that student's condition that the student I talked to say was shot in the bathroom here during the school day today and Jessica I would like to share with you that we do have some information into the WJZ Newsroom of a reunification Center for parents uh who want to reconnect with their um students their children it's at Good Shepard Presbyterian Church I imagine that is the area behind you and that may be where we are seeing all the traffic circling that area I know you mentioned that the roads have been blocked off but I imagine that there is a pathway there so that you reunification um Center is at Good Shepard Presbyterian Church for parents to go there and reunify uh with students at this time and is that is that the area I see that there are a lot of cars parked out there a few of them crawling in that area does it appear that that process is happening now yes so that is definitely the church that I am standing in front of they have a big field here this building is a part of the church here um as you can see there are uh people walking in and out of that area there's a a lot less now than when I first got here when I first got here there was a massive crowd of students with their backpacks and parents uh walking away with their students and Jessica right now from where you are standing are you seeing any more students I know earlier when we spoke you said you saw a lot of them moving to the field are people there still Gathering does does does it appear that that has changed at all and things have kind of calmed down um I don't know if calm down is the right word because obviously uh there's a lot of police and First Responders here at this point but I don't see as many students and amilies gathered in this um this field behind me here um I also cuz I I'm about a block away from the school I can see the entrance of the school from where I'm standing but I'm not all the way down there because they have a roadblock I can see that there's more what appears to be students and their parents walking back and forth possibly even some neighbors cuz this whole street is uh it's a residential neighborhood that this school is nestled in so um that's what I'm seeing at this point all right Jessica thank you so much for that update again a mass police presence at uh japat toown high school right now however they have confirmed that this was an isolated incident involving two students uh one student pulled out a weapon um there were students and this happened in the bathroom where there were students there who witnessed it our Jessica Albert spoke with one of the students who said that right now we are getting tweets uh right now from the sheriff's office from Harford with updates as to what is happening right now you can see there this is a developing Story the reports came in just before 100 p.m. this afternoon um police saying that the fight um involved weapons which led to this evacuation that we are seeing however there is a reunification Center for parents to pick up their students especially parents at home wondering what is happening um you know getting mixed reports about this there is an area at good sheeper Presbyterian church where you can reunite reun Unite with um Your Child So Jessica at this at this moment I'm also seeing fire trucks out there um are you seeing even a lot of people on the ground cuz we are getting um a view from up above but we're we're wondering at least on the ground what you are seeing in terms of that definitely seeing a lot of people here uh still in terms of law enforcement um and I'm seeing you know now that I really am getting a look down further uh there's a lot of people standing right across from the school where there's a road block uh a you know like a a city block away from where I'm standing right now there's a lot of people down there there's a handful a few dozen or so people in this field behind me I'm seeing lots of uh people walking up along japa Farm Road here and actually to my left here I can see a lot of school buses um trying to make their way down the road and they're having to take a left and divert I think through this around this scene here so there's a lot still going on here and Jessica I have to ask I imagine those tense moments in that bathroom when you were speaking to that young man before he got on camera with you did he seem distressed did he say whether there was anyone else in the bathroom at that time and what may have been happening leading up to it so it's very interesting because he the the student at first when he walked up to us he asked if we were news he seemed very calm and said I was in the bathroom I witnessed it I mean it was very casual the way that he said it obviously because he is a student in high school we had him ask his dad uh if he could talk to us first and then he proceeded to wanting to talk we actually we heard his dad say yes please tell them what happened um and he just told me uh he said he was scared he said he just tried to go into the bathroom to use the bathroom and then he said that the two students entered uh he had I think he he said something about fighting over a girl maybe the students were and then one of them pulled out a weapon he told me it was a gun and shot the other he said there were other students in the uh in the bathroom with him because he says that those students immediately crowded around uh the person who was shot he told me that right after it happened though he ran into a stall and uh and and tried to to hide I mean like what what else would you do there's a person uh in that situation that you think there's a dangerous situation going on of course you're going to uh try to protect yourself um I don't know if we still have that sound bite from the student it was very uh powerful his account of what happened but if we have that I think we should play it again I didn't really think nothing of it because I just thought that a fight was going to happen but then like as soon as I know it the kid is reaching into his bag and then he and then I just hear a pop and then I just freeze up so I didn't know what I didn't know what to really do so I just hid I hid in the St until it was safe to come out and then when everyone see and then when everyone left I I kind of just stayed there for like a little bit and then I left too and then it's like there's just a whole like in the hallway there was just a whole crowd of like kids just crowning around the kid who got shot and then uh Nikki I think I'm still with you guys so I'm going to keep talking but basically you know we're in a heightened state of awareness of incidents happening at schools right now because we just had a shooting in our country in Georgia earlier this week where a student allegedly went into a school and shot and killed four people two students and two teachers so I think obviously anybody can understand how scary this is how terrifying it is to be going about your day the first week of school uh getting ready to head into a weekend and you're hearing that there's a shooting at a school you know we're not expecting these things to happen um so uh after after I talked to that student that you just heard from we actually uh checked on him because he just told us this story that is honestly horrifying he said that he was okay my photographer actually told him that if you know he if he's feeling some type of way about what he saw or anything like that to make sure that he talks to somebody because honestly uh terrifying moments in that bathroom from what he told us and Jessica as I was listening to what that senior was saying about what he saw I didn't hear that he mentioned anything about injuries um at all he did describe exactly what happened but I think a lot of uh parents and a lot of others who are following this closely are wondering if anybody was injured are there ambulances out there you know are are there Medics out there who are responding to anybody's have have you seen that at all at this hour so Nikki there are ambulances here um there were a a lot of them when I first got here and I see what I think is two of them uh behind me but yes in that interview that student did tell me that uh he saw Blood on the student's white T-shirt and I I spent a lot of time covering stories in Harford County and I've gotten to know people here who religiously listen to scanners when I was trying to make my way here I was getting messages from one of the people that I know listens to scanners throughout the day saying that there may have been a uh helicopter that had to fly in and take somebody out I don't have that confirmed but that is what I'm hearing from my sources um but yes there are still ambulances here and that student did tell me that he did see blood on uh the shirt after uh the shooting happened in the bathroom and it kind of brings me back to what you had mentioned earlier you know you you start your day you have this interview set up with the county executive as you mentioned you were there just days ago and this is just such a contrast to how the week started to now how the week is ending and what you are seeing and just a moment ago we saw an area where it looked like there were perhaps students that were lined up um perhaps waiting for people to pick them up in that area and Jessica you know as you're saying you cover this area this this is your this is your beat you're you have a pulse of what's Happening Here so as you are there seeing this how how do you think that's going to shift in the next couple of days I know as you mentioned it's been all eyes on the high school in Georgia and now it's shifting um here in an area you're very familiar with so I want to bring up a couple things here you mentioned my interview that I had with the county executive I was just down the road from his office when I got a call from his spokesperson saying that he was going to have to cancel on me because he thought there was an incident going on here I could hear sirens behind him I could hear the tone in his voice and that spokesperson is actually uh a former photographer for one of the newspapers in the area he got out of the business and now he's in uh public relations but I could just tell how scared and concerned he was in his voice and I I mean when I first got here and I saw parents pulling over as soon as they could and running I'm not I'm not walking running toward the school as quickly as they can that shows you just how scary and concerning and shocking this is and I mean you have to think about what we're talking about here uh a student possibly shot in a bathroom we have no idea uh the severity of the inj injuries uh possibly someone that has been taken from this school uh and a in a helicopter to the hospital uh I'm hoping that we can learn more information about that uh students condition uh and and and and and there's lots of there's lots of unanswered questions here Nikki uh we don't know if there's a suspect in custody we don't know we we don't know a lot right now so um I think this is going to be a very tough uh situation we don't have a lot of uh violent activity that happens in the county usually it's usually known as in this County in Harford County it's usually known as a a quiet uh uh place um so I mean I think this is going to be very shocking jarring and difficult for the community to deal with in the days coming