The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office released new details regarding the Great Mill High School shooting.
The attack “was not a random act of violence,” investigators say. Suspected shooter Austin Rollins appears to have targeted the female victim with whom he had a prior relationship that recently ended.
Police also revealed the handgun used in the incident was legally owned by the shooter’s father.
The victim, 16-year-old Jaelynn Willey, remained in critical condition Wednesday morning.
NEWS RELEASE: On March 20, 2018, at approximately 7:58 am, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police personnel responded to Great Mills High School, located at 21130 Great Mills Road, Great Mills, Maryland, for reported shots fired inside the school. Upon arrival, three individuals were discovered suffering from gunshot wounds.
Preliminary investigation determined on March 20, 2018, at approximately 7:50 am, Austin Wyatt Rollins, age 17, of Lexington Park, entered the school, where he was enrolled as a student. Several minutes after entering the school, Rollins shot a 16 year old female he was acquainted with, in the school hallway, gravely injuring the female victim. A 14 year old male student who was in the same hallway was shot in the leg. The female victim sustained life threatening injuries, and is currently in critical condition at University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center. The male victim was transported to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment and was discharged on March 21, 2018. The investigation is continuing by detectives from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division (CID).
At the time of the shooting, School Resource Officer Deputy First Class Blaine Gaskill, was at the school, and responded to a report of a person with a gun. Dfc. Gaskill located and confronted Rollins, who was still armed with a handgun in a nearby hallway. Dfc. Gaskill fired one shot at Rollins, who simultaneously fired a shot as well; Rollins sustained a life threatening injury from the exchange.
Rollins, and the victims were provided with medical attention at the scene; Rollins was subsequently transported to University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. Rollins was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, Maryland for an autopsy.
All indications suggest the shooting was not a random act of violence. Rollins and the female victim had a prior relationship which recently ended. The investigation has not yet uncovered any public social media posts/threats made by Rollins. Detectives are continuing to interview friends, family, and associates of Rollins to obtain further information. Once all facts are collected and verified, information will be disseminated to the public. Investigation has determined the handgun utilized by Rollins in the shooting was legally owned by Rollins’ father.
