The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) responded to Wheaton High School at approximately 1:14 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, following a reported stabbing involving two male students during an altercation.
According to MCPD, one student sustained a minor hand laceration and was not transported, and the suspect left the school before officers arrived and remains at large.
Wheaton High School Principal Pam Pamela Krawczel sent the following message to Wheaton staff on Wednesday afternoon:
Good afternoon, Wheaton staff.
I am writing to inform you of a serious incident that occurred today during lunch and to share the steps we have taken to ensure the safety of our school community.At approximately 12:47 p.m., a staff member heard a verbal altercation in a hallway. Upon entering the area, the staff member observed a juvenile with a knife. The staff member immediately intervened, disarmed the individual, and attempted to escort him to the main office. During this process, the individual fled the building and was observed running off campus. The administration was notified immediately and contacted the police. While making contact, administration remained on hold for approximately 15 minutes before connecting with law enforcement. As an added safety measure, all students who were outside at the time were immediately brought back inside the building.
As part of the initial investigation, it was determined that the individual with the weapon is not a Wheaton High School student. However, it appears that Wheaton students knowingly provided individual access to the building. Prior to staff intervention, one Wheaton student sustained a minor laceration to the hand. The student was assessed, and the injury was determined to be minor.
We are fully cooperating with the police investigation and will continue to do so. Any Wheaton students found to be involved will receive appropriate consequences in alignment with the MCPS Code of Conduct. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and we take incidents of this nature extremely seriously.”
MCPD issued the following incident alert at 2:57pm: “MCPD dispatched at 1:14 p.m., to Wheaton High School for the report of a stabbing. Preliminarily, two male students were involved in an altercation. One student located with a minor laceration to their hand, was not transported. The suspect left the school. No one is in custody.”
