Man Charged In Shooting Of Frederick Douglass High School Staffer

City police said Neil Davis, 25, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and related firearms violations.

A Frederick Douglass High School staff member was shot Friday afternoon by an adult visitor to the Baltimore school.

City police said Neil Davis, 25, got inside the front door of the school and was confronted by a 56-year-old special education assistant, who was shot. The staff member was taken to Shock Trauma and was in serious but stable condition.

"An individual, 25 years old, entered the school, never penetrated the school, but got to the front door, the front vestibule, and was confronted by a staff member, who is the victim," Baltimore police Col. Byron Conaway said. "As they encountered each other, the suspect shot our victim."

Sources told the 11 News I-Team that the suspect went to the school looking for the 56-year-old victim. The suspect's relative, a Frederick Douglass student, apparently had a prior encounter with the victim. Sources told the I-Team that a parent-teacher conference was going on Friday involving the suspect's relative.

Davis was charged with attempted first-degree murder and related firearms violations.

The staff member remains in serious but stable condition, and the suspected shooter is in custody. In a letter to city schools families on Friday, CEO Sonja Santelises said the victim is a special education assistant and a longtime employee of the school system.

"This incident will shake us all deeply," Santelises wrote. "In a city where violence is too present, our schools must be havens of safety and peace, where confrontation and weapons have no place."

Message from Dr. Santelises about today's shooting at Frederick Douglass High School: pic.twitter.com/dGneKqBY07 — Baltimore Schools (@BaltCitySchools) February 8, 2019

The encounter happened in the school lobby. City school police Chief Akil L. Hamm said his officers were nearby in the main office, and were able to engage and apprehend the suspect without incident.

Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted that state officials are "closely monitoring the situation."

We are closely monitoring the situation at Frederick Douglass High School. The state stands ready to provide any support necessary to the school, community, law enforcement, and first responders. https://t.co/OVuC0kLaTN — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) February 8, 2019

Santelises said the district will review safety and security protocols for all schools in the coming days.

The shooting comes little more than two weeks after the city school board voted unanimously against supporting state legislation that would allow officers to be armed on school property while classes are in session.

"We've always maintained that the weapons were not for students, to use against students," school police union president Sgt. Clyde Boatwright told Brett Hollander. "Unfortunately, for this situation, we predicted that this would happen, that someone from the outside would come into the building and injure someone in the school."

Boatwright said the school resource officer was assisted at the scene by two supervisors, who were armed, in subduing the suspect.

Sgt. Clyde Boatwright's full appearance on The Brett Hollander Show:

UPDATE on Frederick Douglass High School: Shooter is in custody. STUDENTS AND STAFF ARE SAFE. https://t.co/5jgJTExDyA — Baltimore Schools (@BaltCitySchools) February 8, 2019

Ambulance leaving Frederick Douglass HS in West Baltimore with school police officer following. Report of 1 person shot, 1 in custody pic.twitter.com/jLApLXL3m8 — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) February 8, 2019

Heavy police presence at Frederick Douglass HS following shooting of one person inside. No indication of 'active shooter' situation pic.twitter.com/ydt6V4m1PI — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) February 8, 2019

Officers are on the scene of a shooting at Frederick Douglass High School in the 2300 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway. An adult male was shot at location. Suspect taken into custody at scene. — Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) February 8, 2019