Two students were taken into police custody Thursday morning, September 3, 2026, after separate weapon-related incidents at Colonel Zadok Magruder High School in the Rockville area, prompting authorities to place the Montgomery County school under lockdown before later moving it to a hold status.
Montgomery County police responded to the school following reports involving weapons. Authorities said the incidents were separate and involved two different students, with one incident involving a knife and the other involving a BB gun.
According to Montgomery County Public Schools, the initial lockdown was activated after an altercation involving a student and a staff member. School officials received information that the student might have a weapon, prompting emergency procedures as police were called to the campus.
The student was located and taken into custody. Police determined that the student had a BB gun.
A second, unrelated incident was reported separately at the school when another student was found in possession of a knife. That student was also taken into police custody as officers worked to secure the campus and determine whether there was any continuing threat.
The lockdown was lifted after the students involved had been secured. MCPS subsequently placed Magruder High School under a hold, restricting movement around the building while allowing classroom activities to continue as police completed their response.
Authorities emphasized that the two weapon incidents were separate and unrelated based on the information available during the investigation. The school community was notified that the situation was being handled and that normal operations were expected to resume.
Police initially reported that two students were in custody. As the investigation progressed, authorities announced that a 15-year-old student was facing charges that included assault and possession of a dangerous weapon on school property in connection with one of the incidents.
There were no reports of injuries stemming from Thursday’s incidents, and available information does not indicate that anyone was shot at Magruder High School on September 3.
The incidents nevertheless caused concern among parents, students, staff and members of the surrounding community, particularly because the school has experienced a serious act of violence in the past.
In January 2022, a student was shot inside Colonel Zadok Magruder High School, resulting in a lengthy lockdown and a major law-enforcement response. That shooting was a separate incident and should not be confused with Thursday’s weapons-related events.
Thursday’s response once again highlighted the emergency procedures used by Montgomery County schools when authorities receive reports of a possible weapon on campus. School officials and police moved quickly to locate the students involved, secure the situation and transition the campus from lockdown to hold status.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional details about the circumstances surrounding the incidents and any further charges are expected as authorities continue their inquiry.
For the Magruder High School community, the immediate concern has been resolved, with the students involved in the separate incidents taken into custody and no injuries reported. The events, however, are likely to renew conversations about school safety, student behavior and the importance of rapid emergency response when weapons are reported on school grounds.
