59°
Officers responded to the 100 block of Clay Street at around 7:40 a.m. on March 19, where they found a 36-year-old man suffering from fatal gunshot wounds and the child injured.
The student was taken to the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Unit for treatment and evaluation of non-life-threatening injuries, while the Annapolis Police Department launched a homicide investigation.
Annapolis Police Chief Ed Jackson said that they've been working with federal partners in that area the past few weeks, leading to several arrests and the recovery of several handguns.
"We're going to continue to have a presence there," he said. "Our achilles heel on this was it was unexpected in that it happened in the early morning hours when people are going to work and children are going to school.
"That's more disturbing to me."
Jackson said that in the coming days, there will be an increased police presence at and around schools, and they are providing crisis intervention resources.
"We're working closely with Anne Arundel Public Schools because of the age of the victim ... and if I can be frank, we have a handgun problem with juveniles.
"It makes me sad that so many handguns are in the hands of children ... And anyone under the age of 18 is a child .. I don't care how big or strong you are ... If they're under the age of 18 they're still boys.
"There are too many boys and girls who have handguns in their possession, and that's something have to work together to come through."
Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell called the situation a major problem in the community if school buses and stops are no longer safe.
"As superintendent, you wake up in the morning and hope that the school buses arrive on time to pick the kids up and get them to school, and at the conclusion of our day, our kids are a little smarter because of what we were able to do.
"It's unacceptable that we have an 11 year old at the hospital instead of being at school learning."
Bedell also made note that these shootings have a wide-ranging impact on students, staff, and teachers who have all fostered relationships with the boy.
"It's unacceptable that we have nearly a dozen students who witnessed this and the trauma it inflicts goes further with second-degree trauma," he said.
"It becomes an impediment on these kids trying to fulfill their potential."
Officials all agreed that they "are tired about having to hold these press conferences" addressing shootings in the community.
"This is not a police problem, it's a social problem," Jackson added. "We have to come together as a community.
"This is everybody's business and we have to get out of this mindset that 'when things don't happen to me, it's none of my business.' It's everyone's business when we have homicides on the street at 7:40 in the morning ... That could have been anyone's kid who was struck by that bullet.
"I'm confident this could be the rallying point where we all come together collectively."
Want breaking news in the DMV as it happens, or want to contribute? Join the DMV All Incidents Facebook group.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Laurel and receive free news updates.
