FRUITAND, MD – A 13-year-old student at Bennett Middle School in Fruitland, Maryland, has been arrested following a violent altercation on October 16, 2023. A Deputy from the School Resource Division was dispatched to a classroom at the school for reports of an assault, and the subsequent investigation revealed that the juvenile aggressor had assaulted a classmate and two teachers.
The student first assaulted one of his classmates before attacking a teacher who tried to intervene. According to the investigation, the juvenile grabbed the teacher around the neck and obstructed her breathing. A second teacher was also struck by the assailant when she tried to pull him off the first victim. EMS was called to the scene and transported the strangled teacher, identified as the second victim, to Tidal Health for treatment of her injuries.
The 13-year-old was taken to the Sheriff’s Office where a Juvenile Referral was completed by the investigating Deputy and sent to the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS). The juvenile has been released to the custody of his parent and placed on electronic monitoring pending his appearance in Juvenile Court.
Due to the age of the aggressor, his identity cannot be released.