Parents, school leaders meet after student injured in shooting at Wootton High School

ROCKVILLE, Md. - There is now a second victim in yesterday's Wootton High School shooting. 

Police said on Tuesday that the suspect had the gun out inside the school some time before shooting a fellow student. 

Parents and school leaders met on Tuesday to address the shocking incident.

What we know:

At 2:15 p.m. on Monday, several law enforcement agencies responded to Wootton High School for a report of a shooting. 

When they arrived, officers found a 16-year-old boy lying in a hallway with a gunshot wound. He was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. 

A short time later, police were able to identify the alleged gunman as 16-year-old Khalil White Villatoro and he was taken into custody.

READ MORE: 16-year-old charged after shooting classmate at Wootton High School

"They acted without hesitation. The first arriving officers from all three police agencies, without due regard for their own safety, entered that school and they used their training based on the active shooter protocol. They did not wait in the parking lot. They did not wait for backup," said Chief Jason West with the Rockville City Police Department. 

Police said the victim who was shot is an acquaintance of White Villatoro, but they are still investigating the nature of that relationship and the motive. 

They also confirmed the polymer 80 9 mm handgun was a ghost gun — meaning it did not have a traceable serial number required by federal law.

Police say they were very confident shortly after the incident of whom the suspect was and located him in close proximity to the school. 

The gun was not found at the school but somewhere off campus late yesterday evening.

New details:

It’s now known that Villatoro pointed a gun at a 15-year-old girl at school, who was also a fellow student earlier in the day, before shooting his 16-year-old classmate.

The teenage girl didn’t suffer any injuries, but the student who was shot was rushed to the hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.  

FOX 5 asked MCPS how it was possible that a student flashed a gun and pointed it at another student before the shooting happened and was still permitted to be on campus. 

They have declined to respond.

READ MORE: Suspect accused of threatening second student before Wootton High School shooting

Parents speak out :

MCPS officials held a meeting with Wootton High School parents Tuesday afternoon in the school's auditorium.  

While school was open on Tuesday, there was no classroom instruction, and many students stayed home. 

Brian Rabin, president of the Wootton High School PTSA, says this school community is understandably shaken.

"We were emotionally drained after last night. Our kids didn't get out of the reunification until very late. Our teachers were there late. They need time to process. They were not ready to return today, to come back to school — and I think that's teachers and students. But my daughter, she was not ready to come back today," Rabin said. 

"We were really concerned as parents to have teachers and students back in school without a chance to process.  And I know that they have professional mental health professionals that are there to support the students and teachers, everybody needs to process in their own way. And so my daughter did she didn't feel that she could be there today," he added.

For the many students who did not come back to school on Tuesday, MCPS says those will be excused absences. Those who did return had several resources made available to them. 

What they're saying:

Here's the text of the message sent to Wootton High School families on Tuesday. 

Dear Wootton High School Families,
 

As we conclude our first day following Monday's traumatic events, we want to explain why being together at school today mattered.
 

In moments like this, connection is an essential part of healing and accessing necessary supports. Additionally, today was not about academics or resuming "normal" routines—it was about ensuring that students and staff were surrounded by helpful adults, mental health professionals, and peers, rather than processing a distressing event in isolation or through social media without support.

From the start of the day, counselors, social workers, psychologists, administrators, and central office staff were present and available to listen, support, and meet students and staff where they were emotionally. Some needed a conversation; others needed a routine, and all responses were respected. Mental health supports will remain available not just this week, but in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Trauma does not follow a predictable timeline, and reactions can change or resurface over time. Our commitment is to have key supportive people present and responsive for as long as that support is needed.

As school and district leaders, we need to share our deep gratitude for our teachers and staff. Candidly, our teachers and staff were amazing today. Many came to school today carrying their own emotions and concerns; in fact, some began to share them at an early-morning staff meeting. Despite this, they showed up for students. Their willingness to prioritize student well-being during such a difficult time speaks volumes about who they are and the strength of this community.

There was indeed a high absence rate at school today. This is completely understandable, but we want our students back; they are part of our community. Excused absences will be honored for one more day (Wednesday) because we know that every student’s needs are different, and processing yesterday’s events will be different for everyone.

Are we safe here at Wootton? Yes, and here is why.

Over the coming days, we will have increased police and school security presence. Today, an already scheduled installation of additional security cameras and electronic door locks was begun. More importantly, we at Wootton High School are here and present to keep us all safe.

While at home, we continue to encourage families to talk with their children about the value of staying connected to supportive adults and peers, whether at school or at home, particularly during moments like this. We’ve included helpful resources for those conversations at the end of this letter.

We held two family information sessions today, during which we heard from Rockville Police reviewed their response on Monday and also spoke about the ongoing investigation. MCPS Student and Staff support experts spoke to their work today and the services provided, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. Again these staff will be back on Wednesday to continue their work in support of students and staff.
 

Sincerely,

Thomas W. Taylor, Ed.D., M.B.A.
Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Joseph Bostic
Principal
Thomas S. Wootton High School

What's next:

White Villatoro was originally scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing Tuesday afternoon, because the processing for his detention went past 12 a.m., the hearing was pushed to tomorrow at 1 p.m. 

He's currently being charged as an adult because in Maryland, if you commit attempted first or second degree murder or use a handgun in the commission of those crimes, the original jurisdiction is in the adult court. 

State's Attorney John McCarthy pointed out that the state legislature is debating the wisdom of that requirement this week.

White Villatoro is being held without bond.