Police Increase Security at Ft. Washington High School

Police will increase their presence at Friendly High School in Fort Washington following confrontations at the school on Tuesday over the killing of a classmate, according to a police official.

Police arrested four students and the relative of a student Tuesday on school grounds, according to Lt. William Alexander, Prince George's police spokesman. Police plan to patrol the area before and after school for the remainder of the week, Alexander said Thursday.

Three of the arrests occurred outside the school building during a minor confrontation related to raw emotions over the killing of a fellow student on Sunday, according to Alexander. The other two arrests were not connected to the killing, but involved drug possession and a student confronting police, according to Alexander.

Sixteen-year-old Marcus Antonio Jones, a student at Friendly High School, was the victim of a fatal shooting Sunday by an unknown assailant, according to police.

Prior to the shooting, Jones had attended a by-invitation-only private party in a home, where a mother was on hand checking IDs and turning people away, Alexander said. Jones was walking to a car after leaving the party on Webster Lane when an unknown suspect shot him and ran, according to police.

Investigators believe at this time "there were people at the party who were not invited but did show up from information they discovered on social media," but police are continuing to investigate, Alexander said.

When school resumed on Tuesday, two confrontations related to raw emotions over Jones death occurred both inside and outside the school, according to Alexander. The incident outside led to three arrests and all three were charged with second degree assault. Two of those arrested were students and one was an adult relative who was either picking up or dropping off a student, according to Alexander.

An unrelated incident occurred when drugs dropped out of a student's pocket as he exited the school, according to Alexander.

An unrelated incident took place inside the school when a student became combative with an officer on the scene, according to Alexander. He was arrested and charged with second degree assault and resisting arrest, Alexander said.

A mother complained about how the police handled this incident, but as far as Alexander knows, she has not pursued the complaint, he said. Alexander did not know the details of the confrontation.

The purpose of increased police presence at Friendly High School is to help calm tensions and ensure student safety, according to Alexander.

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