Montgomery County Public Schools officials are investigating an incident at Bradley Hills Elementary School in Bethesda after graffiti referencing the perpetrator of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was found on a fence on school property.
School officials said the act is being treated as an attempt to intimidate and cause fear within the school community. The graffiti was quickly documented and scheduled for removal, and Montgomery County Police have launched an investigation. According to FOX 5, the graffiti read “RIP Adam Lanza.”
The incident follows a separate case earlier in the week involving an intentionally set fire to an outdoor storage shed on school grounds. While it is unclear if the two incidents are connected, officials are investigating that possibility. In response, MCPS and police are increasing security measures, including additional police presence and patrols, and are asking the public to provide any information that may assist in the investigation.
MCPS Chief of Schools Dr. Peter O. Moran issued the following message to the schools in the Whitman Cluster community on Saturday:
Dear Bradley Hills Elementary and all the communities in the Whitman High School Cluster,
We are writing to inform you of an extremely serious incident that occurred on school property at Bradley Hills Elementary School and to share the actions being taken in response.
Today, graffiti was discovered on a fence at Bradley Hills Elementary School that included the name of the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. To be clear, the use of the name of an individual responsible for such a heinous act, one that involved the loss of life of young school children, can only be interpreted as an act intended to intimidate and cause fear within the Bradley Hills School community, and the broader neighborhood and community, too. Please know that this despicable act will be met with a substantial and uniform response from multiple divisions of MCPS and the Montgomery County Police Department.
As soon as the graffiti was reported, MCPS staff documented the graffiti and a separate MCPS building services team has been assigned to begin the process of removal. We expect that team to be on site to remove the graffiti shortly, and the work will be completed before the end of the evening. The incident, of course, was reported to the Montgomery County Department of Police, and an investigation is underway and is in its early stages.
We also want to acknowledge that this comes on the heels of the incident involving an outdoor storage shed being intentionally set on fire on school grounds this past week. At this time, it is unclear whether these incidents are connected, but that possibility is being fully investigated. School camera security footage and information have been shared with the police to support their investigation.
We understand how both of these incidents are extremely unsettling and concerning for students, families, staff, and neighbors. Please know that school leaders, security team members, and our law enforcement partners are taking this very seriously. The police have committed to an increased presence as we return to school this coming Monday morning. MCPS will also have an increased security presence at the school on Monday and increased patrols of the area around the school through the weekend.
We are sharing this same message with all schools in the Whitman Cluster community and are asking for your help. If you have any information that may assist in this investigation, please contact the Montgomery County Police Department non-emergency line at 301-279-8000. You may also report information anonymously through the Maryland Safe Schools Tip Line at 1-833-632-7233 (1-833-MD-B-SAFE) or online at https://schoolsafety.maryland.gov/pages/tipline.aspx.
Acts like this absolutely do not reflect who we are as a community, and we will fully partner with the police to support their investigation of this incident.
Dr. Peter O. Moran
MCPS Chief of Schools
