Maryland School Shooting Warrants $35,000 In Aid

A school shooting that took place in Baltimore County, Maryland on the first day of school left one student in critical condition. Today the US Department of Education awarded a grant of over $35,000 to Perry Hall High School and the surrounding community to assist with the ongoing recovery efforts.

“Senseless shootings disrupt the lives of students, schools and communities,” US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a press release. “We hope these resources will help the learning process continue and support the community as it recovers.”

The money comes as a Project School Emergency Response to Violence grant. Project SERV grants provide support to districts that have experienced a significant traumatic event and need resources to re-establish a safe environment for students.

On August 26, a student walked into the Perry Hall High School cafeteria and opened fire with a shotgun, hitting another student in the back. That student was flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. A nearby school counselor tackled the 15-year-old shooter and pinned him against a vending machine. Parents attempted to reach their children in person or via phone for the entire day while police helicopters circled overhead.

The shooter pleaded guilty of attempted murder and was sentenced last month to 35 years in prison. The victim missed over two months of school while he recovered from his injuries.

The Office of Safe and Healthy Students has award over $31 million to over 100 grantees since the grant program began. The office is a subdivision of the Department of Education and assists local schools with drug and violence prevention. It was established as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Perry Hall High School and the surrounding Maryland community will use the grant to address areas of need that emerged after the shooting.