Sniper Arrests End Code Blue

Nov. 22, 2002

For three weeks last month, doors were locked, sports were postponed, field trips were canceled, and internships were interrupted -- all because of two men with a rifle. Montgomery County Public Schools implemented unprecedented security measures, ordering a Code Blue lockdown across the county for the first time and announcing activity restrictions for most of October, beginning on October 3rd.

"I think they handled it well given the fact that [MCPS] has never experienced something like this before," senior Alissa Wilson said. A modified Code Blue situation led to many postponements and disturbances. Some days, internships were canceled; other days, they were permitted. Outdoor events were canceled for the entirety of the crisis; indoor practices continued, with students being forced to leave the building by 5:30pm on some nights. "There wasn't a lot they could do," senior Brian Lord stated. With two murderers on the loose, the school system chose to implement more restrictions rather than fewer.

‘Before October 3, all our planning presumed a short-term incident, like Columbine or 9/11,’ Board of Education member Sharon Cox told the Observer. ‘Given that we never planned for a long-term situation like we just experienced, I think our staff did a spectacular job in keeping students safe.’ She admits that there were some problems during the course of the crisis. ‘Absolutely there are lessons to be learned and, we pray, only practiced, not needed.’

Students were nervous about the situation, especially after the shooting of a student in Bowie and the realization that the sniper was still out on the loose. ‘He was just striking random people,’ junior Natalie Mitcham said. ‘He was unpredictable.’ Some students were nervous when traveling downcounty. "I was afraid for my parents because they both work within 5 minutes of the first and the last shootings," senior Prabu Selvam stated. In a survey of 250 students, over 90% of students said they were ‘not afraid at all’ or only ‘slightly afraid’ of the sniper during the crisis.

Annual Homecoming events were disrupted by the tense climate. Windows were painted at the high school, rather than in the community, due to concerns over safety. While spirit days continued unaffected, the Powder Puff game and Homecoming parade were both canceled. At a meeting with SGA representatives and class sponsors on Wednesday, October 23rd, alternate plans were devised ‘ the pep rally would be held inside, hallways would continue with only one school entrance unlocked, and floats would be displayed at Damascus Chevrolet. Luckily, with the capture of two suspects and the announcement of a rescheduled football game, floats were displayed outside the high school.

The fall sports season was severely affected by the sniper attacks. ‘I think it’s unfair because it’s hard to have good practice indoors,’ Varsity Soccer captain Chris Kaplan said. ‘Going straight from that into a playoff game caused us to be not as prepared as we needed to be.’ The cancellation of the Varsity Football game versus Whitman, scheduled for October 11th, resulted in nearly $10,000 in lost revenue for the athletic department. Mr. Brown, DHS's athletic director, estimates that $6,000 to $7,000 in gate receipts were lost, along with $2,000 to $2,500 in concession sales. Attendance at the rescheduled Homecoming game was disappointing by Damascus High School football standards, as well.

Code Blue measures are instituted when an "emergency/crisis exists at or near an MCPS facility." In a typical Code Blue situation, students are to be kept in their classrooms until the crisis situation ends. Code Red measures -- where students huddle in a safe location in the room -- are only put into effect when a dangerous situation is taking place at the school itself. MCPS’s modified code blue measures were announced each day, usually by noon. On Thursday, October 24th, at 8:03pm, the restrictions were lifted, to the relief of students county-wide.

By and large, students expressed anger towards the sniper suspects. ‘I definitely think that the 17 year old should be charged as an adult,’ Mitcham stated. ‘Everyone should know by 17 that killing is wrong.’