Okay so I'm I'm Sheriff scott Adams, Cecil County Sheriff's office S. C. O.
T. T. ***. D. ***. M. S.
And I'm gonna start and then we'll see how um as we proceed if there's
questions are down the line for people to take questions. So obviously this is
*** tragic and terrible day for our county and community um with this event.
So I'm gonna talk about the events that we know at this time. On today's date
*** male individual called 911 to report that three Children, *** female
had been shot and were deceased at 9 19 hours. The cecil County Sheriff's
office deputies responded to the residents in the unit block of Hebron
Court in Elk Mills Maryland four schools in that area were placed on
code yellow, which is *** heightened state of awareness. Deputies arrived at
9:29 hours and observed an unresponsive subject inside the detached garage. At
9:34. Deputies made entrance into the residence where they ultimately
discovered five to see subjects in various locations inside the residence
and that detached garage. All the deceased appeared to have suffered
gunshot wounds. *** semiautomatic handgun was located near the deceased.
Adult male
Sheriff's office investigators are currently on scene and executing ***
search and seizure warrant and actively investigating the incident. Sheriff's
office records show no call history for that residence. *** reverse 911 call
was put out in the immediate area to indicate that there was no threat to
the public county animal services were contacted for pets inside the residence
due to the extensive crime scene. We requested the assistance of Maryland
state police crime scene technician to assist at this time we've been unable
to locate the next of kin for the adult male. Therefore, information is still
limited. An intern, an internal critical incident stress management
team with the assistance of the county department emergency services and
affiliate sante mobile crisis team were on scene at Cecil County Sheriff's
office to speak with those deputies, paramedics and dispatchers involved in
the investigation. And we greatly appreciate that assistance and all all
the assistance and all the calls um and prayers and and offers from allied
agencies um that I've received already this morning. So with that that's the
information we have. Currently. Again, it's ongoing investigation, actively
working *** search and seizure warrant at that residence. Uh I'll take some
questions now.
So right now we don't have that. And again it's and unfortunately I'm giving
you what we can um without next of kin being notified. So I certainly want to
be careful with that. And we are actively trying to find that motive.
But right now we don't have that.
I know the grades. So we're talking about uh fifth grade seventh grade
eighth grade. Not yet.
Various locations. Do we know anything more on locations of detached garage,
One on the first floor, three on the second floor,
one individual is found in *** detached garage. Uh Second individual on the
first main floor, three individuals on the second floor. Uh I'm not sure.
Um, not all Children. Now.
Was there *** sign of struggle, Not that I'm aware. Was the mail related to
the, to the other victims in any way?
We're not gonna release that at this point.
And was the male of the shooter? Can you conclusively say that? Not at this
point. Right.
It was just an eye. It was *** semiautomatic handgun. And, and the
issue again, lies with us trying to make this next notification. That's
that's where some of the, some of the hesitancy in releasing some information.
Is there other weapons?
And were there any concerns? You said there were no calls? Did anyone have
*** red flag concern or anything of that nature? Um, weapons related? I'm
not sure. Do we know any any other weapons? There's still an active search
going on at the residence. *** search and seizure warrant being executed as
we speak. So we're not aware right now. Any more weapons have been located
inside the residence. And there was no, uh, alert for this residence, uh,
system where we come from
the man.
We, we um, assume that at this point, but we're not 100% sure as we're going
forward, but it sounds to be, that would be the case.
Do we have any other calls
the gun legally registered? And is it registered to someone in that house
that has been determined that
it is standard practice, any schools that would have been in that area as we
knew, you know, the initial call and we know nothing other than we here, we
have *** possible, you know, scene with homicide scene. We that's just protocol.
We're looking at that. We've we've made contact with Cecil county public
schools and talked with them about it. So, um, that appears to be the case.
Can I backtrack to the gun? Because I had two questions and you just said you
didn't know at this point, Was that to whether the gun was legally registered
or was that to whether the registration matched the person at *** gun was
discovered inside the residence. However, at this point we will be able
to confirm this at some point during investigation. But as of right now we
can the
is registered and have been registered. How far away was it from?
It was looking at nearby. Don't have an exact space, but it was nearby with
it was his gunshot wound appearing himself
again. We're still withholding some of that. I think you talked about this in
the bottom of your press release, but just and you addressed what *** tragic
situation it is, but also for the first responders who went into that home and
how are you providing?
Sure, Yes. And and it is *** horrible situation and it's something that we
are always concerned with. So CISM teams is what I referenced at the
bottom of that. So we do have our own Cism team um act that's activated has
already started initial briefings and with deputies that were first on scene,
we have department emergency services CISM teams that are assisting us as
well. And other agencies have called Lieutenant Mehan who is up up here is
in charge of our CISM team. So he's been in contact and I know we've had
several offers correct from other other agencies and um nearby agencies to
assist with that because you are correct. That is *** tragic thing to
handle.
Yeah. So again, it it's *** horrific day and I know everybody's prayers are
appreciated. The I've again, my I haven't, my phone hasn't stopped
ringing from people concerned about this and upset about this. And um again,
there's not *** public safety concern as far as it going outside of this. So
the community is um there is none of that concern. It's grief is what it is
at this point. Any time you have *** loss uh to these levels. Any loss is
terrible, but it lost this level, which is not *** common thing and certainly
not *** common thing here in Cecil County. Um it's tragic and terrible. It
takes *** long time for people to process. So it's uh, my first messages.
Um um, safety is fine. We were not concerned with that outside of this. Um
and then prayers um for you know, and anybody involved in this who responded
or may still have some um involvement with.
We did have one uh similar. How many years ago was that on Ridge Road? 2-2
years ago where we had *** similar, it wasn't as many people involved, but we
had Children involved with *** uh, in *** household where um, there were
people who died and and with with gunshot wounds similar to what it looks
like. This may become three years.
I don't do you remember, do we know that ages yet? We're not releasing yet.
How many shots were there? I mean,
that's still being determined.
Did everyone have multiple gunshot wounds?
Until we're not we're not able to say at this time.
I will make offer. I know our county executive is with us today. Danielle
Hornberger. I'm not sure if you want to say anything or you just here
supporting for to support our law enforcement and the community and
support. Hopefully we can get through this tragedy. Was there any message
left or any, you know, any any video or anything that you've been able to
recover at this point? Again, there's still still investigating crime scene
right now at this point. Not that we're aware of? We had *** phone call. Was
there any conversation that lasted 911?
I do not believe so. Believe it was pretty much informational. Did that
person sound distressed, upset any indicator?
I'll go with that call.
It was very short. I know the
uh subject hung up. We attempt to make calls back to the residents that went
unanswered.
How though, I guess upsetting. Is it when you just said that person called
did not sound upset or anything?
Yeah. And and I think sometimes in in these kind of events that's not
uncommon. Um it seems like almost catatonic
approach the home. Was there like *** breach?
What the person's
still that's still investigating that that side of it. We we did make entry
as I said and went inside. And um
yeah, there were there was no one. Um you know, they were all deceased once
we made entry.
So did you have period shop? No,
I'm sorry to kind of go back. But I believe you said deceased male in the
garage, an adult upstairs, two other people upstairs presenting kids. And
then one kid downstairs
child. I believe it's *** female adult.
And can you open the
One dog and two cats? I believe one dog and two cats.
Okay. If we um get further information, we will certainly release that when we
have it. Thanks for coming out.