MCPS: Wootton High shooting shows increased adult presence could improve safety

After-action report details incident timeline

March 25, 2026 8:51 p.m.

MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor speaks at a press conference after a student was shot at Wootton High School in Rockville. Credit: Ceoli Jacoby

An after-action report released Wednesday afternoon detailing the response to the Feb. 9 shooting at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville found that increased adult supervision is “critical to improve school safety” after the two students involved moved around the building during class time with limited adult interaction prior to the shooting.

“I wish I could assure you that something like this will never happen again,” Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Thomas Taylor wrote in a memo in the report. “I cannot. But I can assure you that we will continue to learn, to adapt, and to do everything within our power to create safer, stronger, and more connected school communities for every student, family, and staff member.”

Following the shooting, according to the report, the district implemented more security presence on campus, expanded police support and visibility, installed already planned camera coverage and door enhancements and adjusted school practices to allow for more adult oversight.

According to the report, only the first floor of the building is open during lunch, hall passes are required during lunch, class and homeroom and more staff are in the hallways during transition periods.

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The shooting occurred the afternoon of Feb. 9 at the school at 2100 Wootton Parkway. Around 2:15 p.m., officers responded to the school for a report of a shooting and found the injured student in a hallway suffering from a gunshot wound. The school was placed on lockdown while officers searched the school and the injured student was transported to an area hospital by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. Officers later found and arrested the alleged shooter at a location away from the school, according to police.

The alleged shooter, who is 16 but will be tried as an adult, is charged with one count of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault, in addition to various firearms-related charges, in connection with the shooting that left another 16-year-old student hospitalized, according to Rockville City police. Bethesda Today does not name minors charged with crimes.

Wednesday’s report gave a more detailed timeline of the incident and of the response, in which MCPS detailed a rapid response from school staff and law enforcement, but also outlined several areas for improvement.

Wootton PTSA President Brian Rabin told Bethesda Today Wednesday afternoon that he was concerned students were able to wander the hallways without monitoring, but said that some of the changes implemented at the school were “incredibly restrictive” for students.

Details of the incident

According to a detailed timeline of the incident, the two students involved, as well as three others, entered school bathrooms and stairwells, walked around the hallways and exited and returned to the school building.

At 2:13 p.m., the two students entered a stairwell “where a handgun was discharged,” resulting in the victim being shot, according to the report. The victim then collapsed in front of another room, where at 2:15 p.m., a security team member found the victim and reported by radio that the victim was shot.

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According to the report, the radio call wasn’t clear but the “sense of urgency was conveyed.” School administrators, a security team leader and a school nurse came to the room and the school was put on hold status.

When a school implements a hold status, students must clear the hallways and remain in a room or area until an “all clear” is announced, according to the MCPS website. Staff are required to close and lock classroom doors and account for all students and other adults, but classes should continue.

At 2:17 p.m., the school nurse confirmed the victim had been shot and utilized a “Stop the Bleed” kit to render aid. The principal also announced a move from hold to lockdown status and the administrative secretary called 911. The lockdown was fully implemented by 2:18 p.m.

A lockdown requires students to move away from sight, be quiet and listen to staff members, while adults must gather students from the hallway, if possible. Staff are required to lock the classroom door, not open it and to turn off the lights. Students and staff must stay out of sight and be quiet, and prepare to run or fight.

The first officers arrived at the school at 2:20 p.m. The lockdown remained in effect until 4:12 p.m., according to the report.

After the shooting, the suspect left the school at 2:13 p.m. and was taken into custody by law enforcement around 3:25 p.m. after he was located in a vehicle with his parent and others in front of Julius West Middle School located at 651 Great Falls Road in Rockville. The gun was recovered off of school grounds, according to the report.

During the incident, nearby schools, including Robert Frost Middle School, Fallsmead Elementary School, Lakewood Elementary School, and Cold Spring Elementary School were also placed on lockdown as a precaution.

At Wootton, law enforcement conducted a “comprehensive search of classrooms and other areas of the building” during the lockdown. At the direction of law enforcement, according to the report, MCPS leadership coordinated the relocation of students and staff to Robert Frost Middle School to initiate the parent-child reunification process. The middle school was chosen because it is the designated reunification location in the Wootton emergency plan. The last student left Robert Frost Middle at 9:50 p.m.

Strengths, room for improvement

The report found that the “internal and county medical response was rapid and effective.” The rapid response of school staff allowed protocol to respond to serious incidents to be implemented.

Available medical resources and a well-trained school nurse also allowed for life-saving measures to be implemented quickly, according to the report.

However, the report also found several areas for improvement, including issues related initial unclear communication and the movement of students about the school with limited interaction with adults.

“The incident reinforced the need for clearly defined hallway supervision structures, including consistent adult presence in high-traffic areas and transitional spaces,” the report said. “Establishing supervision checkpoints may help ensure the staffing deployment aligns with student movement throughout the day.”

The report also found that the response protocols to the shooting and the reunification of students could have been improved, including going into an immediate lockdown and giving consideration to food, water and hygiene products during a lockdown.

The report also found that MCPS should have offered alternative sites for reunification that were further away from the traffic at the scene and that organizing students by grade level and homeroom, rather than just grade level, would have made it easier for staff to locate students when their parents arrived.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine