• 2025-10-14 16:30:19
• Gun Violence

GAMBRILLS, MD — The rumors of threats toward a Gambrills Catholic school involved a photo of a student holding an airsoft gun, officials said this weekend.

The photo was taken before the rumors circulated and was misconstrued as false evidence that a student was planning violence against the School of the Incarnation. In reality, the picture was taken out of context, and the school never faced any threats.

Friday's

The school reopened Monday with preplanned parent-teacher conferences. Students returned to class Tuesday.

Patch obtained a Sunday email that Principal Nancy Baker sent to families to explain the situation.

"All concerns and rumors are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly," Baker said. "At the same time, however, we must avoid rushing to judgment against our fellow community members. That's why we have a robust threat assessment policy and a collaborative relationship with law enforcement. So, that we can separate truth from rumor."

There is an extra security presence at the school on Tuesday, but there is no threat.

"While no threat was ever made against the school, our community, or our students, this situation has highlighted the importance of effectively sharing information with and within our community, Baker said. "If you hear or see something, please do report it."

Here is a timeline of events, as recounted by Baker.

Friday, Oct. 3

School was closed for students because of a professional development day. There were no safety concerns that day.

Sunday, Oct. 5

A seventh-grader said in a student group chat that the school was closed Friday, Oct. 3, because it got "shot up." That was not true.

Tuesday, Oct. 7

A second seventh grader shared a rumor with the first student that a third seventh-grader was planning violence against the school.

One of those students then shared a photo of the third student "holding what appeared to be a firearm in his home."

"The photo had been screenshotted about a month prior in a chat with friends," Baker said, adding that it "had nothing to do with any type of violence directed toward SOTI or any of its community members."

Officials later confirmed that it was an airsoft gun, not a handgun.

Wednesday, Oct. 8

School administrators learned about the rumor.

"The administration promptly conducted a threat assessment, obtained the photo, investigated the rumor and the photo, and communicated with all parents and students involved," Baker said. "It was confirmed that the student pictured did not have any access to firearms and there were no firearms in the home."

Officials determined that there was no threat to campus and said "appropriate consequences were applied."

Thursday, Oct. 9

Rumors continued into Thursday evening. Families started contacting the school with concerns about a potential Friday threat. One message referenced an unidentified eighth-grader as a concern.

The school shared all information with the Anne Arundel County Police Department on Thursday evening. Although there was no credible threat, the school canceled Friday classes out of an abundance of caution.

Friday, Oct. 10

The school investigated alongside the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Department of Catholic Schools.

Police had already conducted their own independent investigation and deemed that there was never any threat to the school. Officers also confirmed that the circulated photo showed an airsoft gun.

Authorities determined that the concern about the unidentified eighth-grader was also referring to the photo.

"Please know that the administration acted as soon as we became aware of the situation, which continued to develop over the course of the week," Baker said. "We worked closely with our staff and the appropriate authorities to investigate the matter. Our top priority, now and always, is the safety and well-being of our students and staff."

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