LANHAM, Md. — A Maryland community is reeling after a student walking home from DuVal High School was shot and killed Monday afternoon.
Police say the girl was walking along Palamar Drive shortly after school let out when two groups of people got into a fight. During the argument, a suspect took out a gun and fired, hitting the girl and killing her.
Police sources tell WUSA9 they do not believe the girl was the intended target. Right now no arrests have been made.
An increased Prince George's County Police presence is expected around the school Tuesday, and counselors will be on campus as well.
The national nonprofit The Uvalde Foundation for Kids is also joining in the effort for added security around DuVal.
They're actively recruiting community members to join the STOP NOW Volunteer School Patrols, which will monitor the area around the school.
The group formed in response to the Uvalde, Texas school shooting and has been rolling out these school patrols across the country — near schools that have experienced violence.
Some examples include at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn. and Richneck Elementary School in Virginia.
The foundation said it is modeled after the Guardian Angels community policing unit in NYC In the 1980s.
The goal of the STOP NOW teams is to patrol school perimeters, offer positive student and community engagement, and serve as an additional deterrent to dangers.
They said team members are not armed, receive criminal background and drug clearance, are trained in situational awareness, CPR and basic intervention techniques.