FT. MEADE, MD – A 12-year-old student brought a handgun, with a loaded magazine and loose ammunition his backpack to school on Thursday, but Maryland’s Juvenile Justice Reform Bill (HB 0459) is preventing police and prosecutors from filing charges.
According to the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the child will not face any criminal charges, setting a bad precedent for other juveniles and risking the safety of students at schools across the state.
According to police, the School Resource Officer at MacArthur Middle School was notified of a student who had a handgun, loaded magazine, and loose ammunition in a bag at the school.
Under the state law passed in 2022, a 12-year-old can no longer be charged with certain crimes, including bringing a handgun and ammunition to school.
“Since the law took effect on June 1, 2022, we have had dozens of cases where juvenile suspects were located, identified, and unable to be charged,” the department said. “Those cases include assaults, weapons violations, intimidation, harassment, drug charges, theft, burglary, sex offenses, threats, motor vehicle thefts, animal abuse, arson, and incident exposures.”