On Wednesday morning, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) and Montgomery County Park Police responded to a report of a fight at Chase Urban Park (4701 Chase Ave in Bethesda) that involved reports of shot(s) fired.
The incident, which occurred around 10 am, prompted a lockdown at nearby Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School as a precaution. According to Park Police, no victims were located, and no suspects were taken into custody. The school was moved from lockdown to shelter-in-place as students were dismissed Wednesday afternoon. MCPD reiterated that the reported shooting did not occur on school grounds.
A letter by principal Shelton Mooney was sent to the school community. It can be seen in full below:
“Dear Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Community,
I am writing to share information regarding a lockdown that was instituted at B-CC today. This morning at approximately 10:10 am a community member called the main office to report that they had witnessed a fight in a neighborhood park and that they had heard gunfire. The community member shared that the fighters dispersed in different directions after the gunfire was heard. The community member who called the office called us out of an abundance of caution based on the proximity of the park to the school. We immediately reached out to our Montgomery County Police Department Community Engagement Officer, who briefed school administration on the incident. We also contacted the Montgomery County Public Schools Office of School Support and Improvement and the Department of School Safety and Emergency Management to inform them and request assistance as necessary.
After a video of the fight was reviewed by school officials, it was determined that some of the students involved were B-CC students and the school went into a lockdown out of an abundance of caution to determine if any of the students may have entered the school. The lockdown began at 10:57 am. B-CC and MCPS staff worked with Montgomery County Police and Maryland-National Capital Park Police to identify students, review security camera footage, and gather additional information. A decision was made to transition to a shelter-in-place at 1:21 pm after determining that students in the building were safe.
Today, I was impressed by the behavior of our students and staff during this serious and stressful event. I am also grateful for the support of our community, our police partners, and MCPS central office staff for their assistance during this event. I know that every person who experienced this lockdown today will process it in a different way. While some may prefer to move forward, others will need space to process their feelings, and some will not be able to react until some future time.
As we move into the rest of the week, we will have the following supports in place:
-Additional MCPS Security staff will be present at
B-CC to support students and staff.
- The MCPS Crisis Team will have counselors present for students and staff who need support.
- An increased police presence will be visible at and around B-CC.
- Teachers have been asked to postpone any scheduled assessments for tomorrow.
I also want to acknowledge the concerns that may arise for our families from such an unsettling incident. We understand that communication and connection are crucial during moments like these, and we made a concerted effort to share information through Remind to keep you informed as developments unfolded.
Please feel free to contact the school if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Shelton Mooney, Ed.D. Principal”