GLEN BURNIE, Md. — A substitute teacher has been barred from classrooms after police learned he brought a handgun to a school in a backpack.
Glen Burnie High School was placed on lockdown Friday after the gun was discovered in a classroom, according to a letter to parents from Principal Kevin Carr. Carr said the backpack was left behind in the classroom as classes dismissed from third to fourth period. A staff member in the classroom picked up the backpack to try to find who left it. They found the gun inside when they opened it.
The school was placed on lockdown around 2:10 p.m. and the backpack was given to police. The substitute teacher was subsequently removed from another classroom, Carr said. Students were held in classrooms while the investigation was underway. Within several minutes, it was determined the backpack belonged to the teacher. The teacher was detained by police and charged.
Carr told parents there was no evidence that the backpack was in the possession of students. He said it's not clear if the handgun, a loaded 9mm Taurus handgun, was ever taken out of the backpack. Anne Arundel County Police have identified the teacher as 45-year-old Derric Simms, of Baltimore.
"The person identified in this incident has been barred from serving as a substitute teacher or acting in any other role in our school system," Carr said in the letter.
He also commended the students for the way they handled the situation.
>Read Carr's letter home to families below:
Dear Glen Burnie High School Families:
I am writing to provide more information to you regarding the lockdown at our school today. As you were informed earlier this afternoon, we placed the school on lockdown just after 2:10 p.m. after a handgun was located in a classroom.
The incident began when a backpack was found left behind in a classroom as classes dismissed from third period and students were moving to fourth period. A staff member in the classroom picked up the backpack to determine the identity of its owner, and discovered a handgun in the backpack when they opened it.
The school was immediately placed on lockdown, the backpack was given to police, and the substitute teacher was subsequently removed from another classroom. He did not have the backpack in his possession when he was removed from that classroom. As the incident was being investigated, students were held in classrooms and there was no movement in the hallways. Within several minutes, it was determined that the backpack belonged to a substitute teacher. That person was detained by police.
I want to be clear that we have no evidence at this time that the backpack was in the possession of any student today. We also have no information that the handgun was ever taken out of the backpack.
The person identified in this incident has been barred from serving as a substitute teacher or acting in any other role in our school system.
I want to commend our students for the outstanding way in which they handled this situation. They were calm and orderly, and followed directions of staff. Please take time to discuss this matter with your student tonight, and to thank them for the way in which they acted.
Please also urge them to report anything that makes them feel unsafe to a responsible adult as soon as possible. Any safety concern can also be addressed through the Student Safety Hotline at 833-MD-BSAFE that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,
Kevin Carr
Principal
Additional details were not immediately available on Monday.