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New report exposes failures leading up to shooting at Wootton High School
A new report has revealed critical failures both before and during the response to last month's shooting at Wootton High School. FOX 5’s Regina Yurrita is live near the school with more on the findings and reaction from parents.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - A new report has revealed critical failures both before and during the response to last month's shooting at Wootton High School.
Montgomery County Public Schools’ 50-page "after-action report" exposed serious failures, including safety, delayed response and missed warning signs. Part of it went out to parents on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Parents question school police officer’s whereabouts during Wootton High shooting
The details:
The report says the 16-year-old shooter interacted with the victim inside Wootton High School for nearly 25 minutes before the attack.
Investigators also note a lack of supervision, saying the suspect exited and re-entered the building multiple times and even walked through the main office before the shooting.
The report also reveals that when shots were fired, confusion over the first radio call delayed action. Staff issued a "hold" instead of a lockdown, which didn’t happen until a gunshot wound was confirmed.
The findings also confirm that students and staff stayed locked down for nearly two hours without restroom access, while parents faced conflicting instructions on how to reunite with their children, creating chaos outside.
READ MORE: 16-year-old charged after shooting classmate at Wootton High School: police
Parent’s perspective:
FOX 5 spoke with a mother who recounted those moments.
"They couldn’t get a lot of information from the outside," said Jill Spivak, who has two children who Wootton High School. "My daughter didn’t know when the shooter had been apprehended, and that uncertainty increases anxiety because communication inside the building was disrupted."
In response, the school system says they have upgraded radios, tightened hall rules and changed advisory periods.
The report also notes that MCPS may have deployed too many mental health resources after the shooting, with some students staying home because they felt mental health support was being prioritized over academics.