Baltimore prosecutors said that a grand jury had charged a juvenile and his parents on charges that they had smuggled a firearm to a high school in October, assaulted a student, and then started a gunfight that injured three other students.
There has been an increase in teenage violence in the city this year, and this shooting is just the latest incident. Multiple incidents involving public school kids in Baltimore have occurred on school campuses. That pattern has maintained itself despite a general decrease in gun violence in Baltimore.
The accusations were revealed at a press conference by Ivan Bates, the Baltimore state’s attorney.
Bates spoke from his own experience as a father and stated that the charges in the indictment were shocking since they included the use of physical force by a child’s guardians to resolve a disagreement at school. He said having a child also means taking responsibility for your offspring’s actions.
Over a dozen offenses have been filed against William Dredden and Tiffany Harrison, including assault in the first degree, conspiracy to attempt first-degree murder, and unlawfully transferring a weapon. Their minor son, who faces charges in adult court, remains unidentified.
Bates announced that Dredden and Harrison are charged in an indictment with accompanying their child to Carver Vocational Technical High School on October 27. The accusation states that the two helped their son assault a fellow student outside the school by repeatedly beating him with a firearm and their fists. One of the victims was forced to the ground by Dredden, according to the indictment. Two other students were wounded in gunshots when the son began firing as they were fleeing the location. The 15-year-old was wounded along with one of the victims of the gunshots, who reportedly returned fire.
Security cameras recorded the majority of the interaction.
Bates wished for the attention to fall on Harrison and Dredden for their roles in the bloodshed. Parents should not be part of the problem. They should find solutions.
