Tragedy Strikes High School in Southern Maryland

A student opened fire at Great Mills High School in Southern Maryland on the morning of Tuesday, Mar. 20, injuring a female student and possibly a male student before he was shot by a school resource officer, according to the local sheriff’s office.

The suspect was identified as 17-year-old Austin Wyatt Rollins. It was said that Rollins used a Glock semiautomatic handgun to shoot the girl, who he had a relationship with. The injured students, ages 16 and 14, and the shooter were immediately rushed to the hospital. Rollins was pronounced dead at 10:41 a.m.

The motive as to why the shooter opened fire is still under investigation. According to the Washington Post, the motive is believed to relate to the relationship he had with the female victim.

According to the Baltimore Sun, a student said the shooting happened around 8:00 a.m. Terrence Rhames, 18, told the Sun that he heard a gunshot and saw a girl fall as he ran for an exit.

“I just thank God I’m safe,” Rhames said in an interview. “I just want to know who did it and who got injured.”

The shooting took place just days after students from Great Mills High School participated in the “Walk On Gun Violence.” It is unclear whether the shooter died from the officer’s gun shot or whether his injury was self-inflicted, but the incident lasted for about only a minute.

According to the Washington Post, Rollins shot the male victim right after shooting the female victim, Jaelynn Willey. The incident is still under investigation.

According to MedStar, St. Mary’s Hospital said in a statement that the 14-year-old boy was in “good condition.” Willey was stabilized and transferred to UM Prince George’s Hospital Center.

Willey died as a result of her injuries on Thursday night.

Great Mills has about 1,600 students and is located in the Southern part of Maryland, about an hour from Waldorf, Maryland and about 70 miles from Washington, D.C.

Kimberly Maske-Mertz contributed to this report.