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On Friday, April 19, High School students were looking forward to gathering around and enjoying a water gun fight for their senior skip day celebration. 500-600 students gathered at Schrom Hills Park and Schrom Hills recreation center around 2:30 PM. Around 3 P.M gunshots were heard by the crowd of high school students, causing panic, and students fleeing the park. Five teens were injured and two arrests were made two weeks later after the shooting
Senior skip day is a celebration where all highschool seniors inside the PGCPS district come together and celebrate the end of their high school chapters. On Friday, students was at first gathered at a park in Bowie MD called “Jericho Park” before officers asked them to relocate somewhere else, which caused students to continue their celebration at Schroms Hills Park in Greenbelt MD around 2:30 P.M., hundreds of students across different schools such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Duval, Flowers, Bowie and more. Over twenty Prince Georges and Greenbelt police officers responded to the scene prior to the shooting to control the crowds, approximately around 3 P.M., police heard gunshots and went toward the area of the sound, where they found five injured teens suffering from gunshot wounds while other students quickly began to flee in panic. Police believe the person or persons who opened fire left the park in the midst of the commotion.
Five teenagers around the ages 16-18 years old were rushed to the hospital to get their injuries treated. Three of the victims had serious injuries and the two others were critically hurt, fire officials said, one remained in critical condition. Sunday afternoon, three of the five victims have been released from the hospital, and the one victim who is still in critical condition is now stable. Emails were sent to students of ERHS and assumed other schools who attended the Senior Skip Day by PGCPS regarding the violent situation.
On April 29th, Two teens were arrested in connection to a shooting at the senior skip day party, Greenbelt police, county and city leaders held a press conference Monday announcing the arrest of a 14-year-old and 16-year-old linked to the incident. “This joint investigation removes a threat to our community, providing peace of mind to residents who want to enjoy public spaces together without fear of harm,” said the Greenbelt Police Department in a press release. Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy said the teens arrested for the shooting are being charged as adults; the unidentified teens face a list of charges, including attempted homicide, officials said.
An anonymous student who attended the senior skip day party voiced their worries and feelings during the shooting “When the shooting happened, luckily I was already walking out the park with my friends. Everything happened so fast, gunshots were heard and we just saw kids running and falling down their own feets. I reacted fast and got out of there. I wish nothing but healing and peace to the kids who got injured and traumatized during this event.”