From wire dispatches and staff reports
A handgun fired accidentally in a bathroom of Albert Einstein High School yesterday while five students examined three guns that they planned to sell, Montgomery County police said.
An ensuing search found three guns, at least one of which was stolen, and other weapons in a student’s locker, police said.
Police said they think the incident is gang related and likely tied to friction between students that began at the end of last week.
Police took one girl and five boys, ranging in age from 14 to 17, into custody. Charges for handgun violations and related charges are pending against all six. The students 16 and older will be charged as adults.
The school on Newport Mill Road in Kensington was put on a “code red” alert, meaning no one could leave or enter. After a search of the building, students were released at about 4 p.m. The school usually dismisses students at 2:10 p.m.
“It was a little frightening at first, when we didn’t know what was going on,” sophomore Bill Sands said. “But once we knew what the situation was, most of the tension was gone and we just wanted to go home.”
Police were called after witnesses reported hearing a gunshot between 11:30 a.m. and noon. School security officers found a bullet lodged in the bathroom wall, Montgomery County Public Schools spokeswoman Kate Harrison said.
No one was injured.
Police planned a thorough search of the school last night for any additional weapons, and officers were to be on campus when classes resume this morning, Miss Harrison said.
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