Gun Concerns Become Local

by Alex Nnabue ‘18

In the wake of the tragic incident and loss of student lives in Parkland, Florida, there has been an increased attention and anxiety about safety threats towards students across the nation, including Montgomery County. The day following the mass shooting, Clarksburg High School staff confiscated a knife and loaded handgun from senior Alwin Chen, who was immediately arrested by law enforcement.

The police searched Chen’s home and found other weapons including a AR-15 style semi automatic rifle, revolvers, a Glock pistole, and an attack vest. Chen claimed that he was regularly armed at Clarksburg in order to protect himself and classmates from any potential threats. Prosecutors believe it is likely that he has brought a weapon to school everyday from December 2017 throughout February 2018. He also assembled the gun himself after buying parts from Home Depot.  

According to Montgomery County Police, Chen currently faces charges of possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm by a person under 21 and possession of a firearm on school property. Chen’s attorneys held an emergency hearing on Tuesday to ask the judge to reconsider his bond status because the private journal that was found in his home made no direct threats to his fellow classmates. However, the prosecutors insisted that the journal revealed that Chen was very troubled, so Chen will remain in prison without bond until his trial.

“This is about a young man bringing a loaded handgun into a public high school,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy publicly stated after Tuesday’s emergency bond hearing.

Clarksburg is just one of many schools that have received threats following the mass shooting in Florida. Last week, other MCPS schools including Walter Johnson and Churchill were evacuated due to alleged bomb threats. The threats were made the same day several high school left school property in order to protest at the U.S. Capitol. Northwest and Gaithersburg also received online threats but they were proven to be uncredible.

Following all the threats on safety, MCPS Superintendent Dr. Jack Smith ensured that the county is working with Montgomery County Police Department to investigate and address every threat.

“MCPS has emergency preparedness and security protocols in place. To support mental health, MCPS counselors, psychologists and other resources have been provided to schools and staff to support students as they process what is happening nationally and locally,” said Dr. Smith.