Two juvenile males are being charged as adults after police said they shot each other near a Baltimore County elementary school on Friday night.
The shooting stemmed from an argument outside Sandalwood Elementary School in Essex, though police were unable to say what escalated the altercation to gunfire.
Citing Maryland law, a Baltimore County Police Department spokesperson said they were unable to provide the ages of the two juvenile suspects.
The pair suffered serious injuries to their upper bodies and have both been charged as adults, a spokesperson said.
Baltimore County Public Schools said the Principal at Sandalwood Elementary sent a letter home to families on Monday.
The letter informed parents that a shooting involving two teenagers took place on school property Friday night.
Sandalwood Elementary’s Principal told parents and families that school grounds are now safe and counselors will be available for any students with questions or concerns about the incident.
“I was sitting out back playing baseball with the kids and I heard about three or four gunshots,” said Whitney Eaton Gomez, who was visiting Essex on Friday night when the gunfire erupted. “At first the kids thought they were firecrackers, but I knew what I heard.”
Eaton Gomez told FOX45 News she saw two boys run from the scene after the gunshots.
“They shouldn’t even have access to these guns and they do,” said Eaton Gomez.
Friday’s double shooting is another case of violence in Maryland involving suspects and victims that are under the age of 18.
“It’s crazy as hell that we’re hearing a story about two youth and the way they decided they were gonna work this out is they’re gonna shoot each other,” said State Delegate Robin Grammer, whose district includes Essex.
Grammer told FOX45 News he wants to see more legislative oversight for juvenile justice if Maryland continues to have a system without public transparency.
“As a matter of statute, we’ve shielded a lot of youth from any sort of consequence for any criminal infraction at all,” Grammer said Monday.
In nearby Prince George’s County, another recent high profile case involves a 15-year-old with a street name of “Baby K.”
The teen is now in custody and charged as an adult for murder and attempted murder.
Prince George’s County Police said Baby K was caught on school bus surveillance last month holding a gun and allegedly targeting a 14-year-old.
Lawmakers and law enforcement in Prince George’s County called Baby K’s case shocking during a recent press conference – and pointed to challenges of holding juveniles accountable for crimes committed in Maryland.
Some recent statewide juvenile justice reforms are intended to keep young people from having a criminal record follow them into adulthood.
“Those protections have given way to a protection of some people who have committed very heinous crimes,” Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz during a press conference about the case last week.