Sheriff Jeff Gahler explained at a news conference that the shooting took place in a first-floor men’s bathroom during a dispute between two students.“The shooting took place in a first-floor men’s bathroom. After the initial shooting, the suspect left the bathroom [and] left the school,” Gahler said. The victim was immediately tended to by school nurses before being airlifted to a trauma center in serious condition, but later died from his injuries.
The 16-year-old suspect, who had just started at the school, fled the scene but was apprehended nearby within minutes. Authorities are still investigating and have yet to recover the weapon. “We are not allowed to talk to the suspect,” Gahler noted, but assured the public, “We have sufficient information that he will be charged in association with the shooting without the need to be interviewed.”
Sheriff Gahler emphasized that this was “an isolated incident, not an active shooter.” More than 100 officers responded to the school, and a parent-student reunification center was set up at a nearby church.
In a later news conference, Gahler announced Grant’s death, saying, “The family was just notified within the last half hour at the hospital.” Harford County Public Schools also released a statement confirming the tragic loss, asking the community to “keep Warren’s family, friends, and the students and staff at JOHS in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.”