Five people were shot and killed during a skip day party at a high school senior park in Greenbelt, Maryland, police announced at a press conference Friday night.
The shooting happened on Hanover Parkway in Prince George’s County.
Greenbelt Police Chief Rick Bowers said several hundred students had gathered for a party before gunshots rang out around 2:30 p.m.
“My heart breaks for them. They’re kids just trying to have a good time,” Bowers said of the victims, who range in age from 16 to 18.
He said one of the victims was in critical condition, while the others were in stable condition.
“This is a horrible, tragic and stupid act that happened today,” he added. “There’s no reason for something like this to happen. It was senior or senior skip day.”
Greenbelt Mayor Emmett V. Jordan echoed Bowers’ sentiments.
“What would the world be like if groups of high school students couldn’t get together and have fun?”
Bowers said no arrests have been made, but police believe there is one suspect who fled when the shooting began.
“We are very disturbed by this incident,” Bowers added, vowing that he, Jordan and the city manager will arrest the suspect while appealing to the public for help.
