School bus, downtown building shot at with pellet gun. Police unsure if they're related

Dave McMillion, The Herald-Mail
·2 min read

Hagerstown Police say they believe an incident Dec. 6 involving a school bus being shot with a pellet or BB gun on North Mulberry Street could be related to three windows being shot on a former newspaper building on Summit Avenue the next day.

At least two Hagerstown teenagers have been charged in the Summit Avenue incident, Capt. Tom Langston said Wednesday. They were not named due to their age.

At 3:10 p.m. on Dec. 6, police were called to 820 Commonwealth Ave. for damage to a school bus.

A school bus driver told officers she believed her bus was shot at in the 500 block of North Mulberry Street. It appears five windows were hit using a pellet or BB gun, police said.

The windows had small circular shatter marks.

There were about seven students on the bus, but no one was hurt.

Two Hagerstown juveniles were charged after three windows were shot on a former Herald-Mail Media building on Summit Avenue on Dec. 7. It resulted in $24,000 in damages, police said.
Two Hagerstown juveniles were charged after three windows were shot on a former Herald-Mail Media building on Summit Avenue on Dec. 7. It resulted in $24,000 in damages, police said.

Police said officers reviewed surveillance cameras in the neighborhood but were unable to identify any suspects.

The next day, police were called to Summit Avenue for a report of individuals shooting at or near the former Herald-Mail Media building. It was determined that three windows on the building were shot with a pellet or BB gun, resulting in $24,000 in damages, Langston said.

At least two Hagerstown teenagers, one being 14-years-old, were caught at the scene and charged, police said. More details on the suspects was unavailable Wednesday.

Why were schools locked down?

When the Summit Avenue incident was reported to police, Washington County Public Schools officials ordered students at Bester and Salem Avenue elementary schools and Barbara Ingram School for the Arts to shelter in place, said school system spokeswoman Erin Anderson.

Anderson said the order was given out of precaution and not because of anything connected to the schools.

Other police news:Hagerstown Police are investigating separate Tuesday night shooting, stabbing

Langston agreed, saying the schools were locked down because police were not sure initially what they were dealing with on Summit Avenue.

It's possible the two incidents are related, said Lt. Rebecca Fetchu.

Regarding the bus incident, Anderson said school officials cooperated with city police in their investigation. School officials notified the parents of the students onboard about what happened, she said.

Anderson said school system officials remain in contact with Hagerstown Police about any safety measures police believe the school system should take in light of the case.

Editor's note: This story was updated on Dec. 15, 2022 at 12:58 p.m. to correct Capt. Tom Langston's rank.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Pellet or BB gun used to shoot school bus and building in Hagerstown