Student Taken Into Custody After Gun Found at Watkins Mill High School

Montgomery County police arrested a student Tuesday after recovering a handgun from him at Watkins Mill High School in Gaithersburg, triggering a hold status that kept the campus locked down while investigators worked the scene.

Officers responded to the school just after noon following a report of a student with a firearm. Montgomery County Police Department and Watkins Mill High School security quickly intervened and escorted the student to the main office to complete a search. During the search, police recovered a handgun. Police arrested the student and removed him from the building.

Montgomery County Public Schools placed the school on hold status while an investigation was conducted. Investigators found the gun in the possession of the student, who has not been identified. The scene was secured and police said there was no additional threat to the Watkins Mill campus.

The student will also receive discipline in alignment with the MCPS Student Code of Conduct, which is very specific for violations of a serious matter such as this. Neither the school district nor the police department provided any identifying information about the student.

The incident marks at least the second time in recent years that Watkins Mill has been the focus of a firearms-related response. A 2024 lockdown at the school was lifted after Montgomery County Police determined that a report of a person with a firearm was unfounded. Tuesday's case ended with a confirmed weapon, a confirmed arrest, and charges still pending as the investigation continued into the afternoon.