16-year-old killed after shooting outside Lansdowne High School, police say

A 16-year-old was shot and killed after being chased by a gunman onto the property of Lansdowne High School on Tuesday, according to Baltimore County police.

Police responded around 2:37 p.m. to a shopping center in the 3900 block of Hollins Ferry Road, across the street from the school, where officers say the minor was shot at by a gunman in a targeted attack. Police said shooting happened nearly 30 minutes after school was dismissed.

Officers said the minor took off to the Lansdowne High School grounds where he was shot, fell down, and was then shot a couple more times. He was taken to the hospital where he died.

"I would like to emphasize that this incident did not initially occur on school property," Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said. "It started in the shopping center up the street. This is an isolated incident and appears to be a very targeted incident. The suspect clearly targeted the victim and was after the victim in this case."

Police said the suspect took off in a car and there is video evidence.

"We continue to search for the suspect in this case," McCullough said. "We do have plenty of video evidence and a good suspect description."

Police said the victim was a student at Lansdowne High School but didn't attend school on Tuesday.

"My heart goes out to the family of this young man. I would like to offer prayers for him and his family," said Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. "It's a horrific incident that has happened here in Baltimore County. It's a sad, sad day."

The school's principal said Lansdowne High School was placed on school lockdown and all afterschool activities were canceled.

Parents were told to pick up their children in the lot off Lansdowne Road.

"This is a tragic incident of a young man taken too soon and w3e have to do better for students and children around the county," Baltimore County Councilman Pat Young said.

Past Lansdowne incidents

In 2013, a 13-year-old was shot multiple times at a shopping center in the 3900 block of Hollins Ferry Road in Lansdowne. The shooting happened in a parking lot behind a CVS convenience store. 

Months earlier, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the unit block of Silerton Road in Lansdowne. Two teenagers were taken into custody in connection to the shooting, according to authorities.

Also in 2023, a Lansdowne High student was stabbed at the school during the middle of the day.

The mother said in a social media post that another student took a "military grade knife with a jagged edge and stabbed her (daughter) multiple times in her head, neck, chest, arm, shoulder and back.