BALTIMORE, MD – A grand jury has indicted a Baltimore teenager and his parents on allegations that they brought a gun to a high school campus and assaulted a student. This incident, which took place in October, led to a shootout that left three young individuals wounded, according to city prosecutors. The announcement was made on Tuesday, shedding light on a serious issue plaguing the city.
This occurrence is not an isolated one. It adds to the rising number of incidents involving youth violence in Baltimore this year. Despite the overall decline in gun violence in the city over the past few months, instances of public school students being shot on or near school campuses have been alarmingly frequent. This disturbing trend has been a cause of concern for law enforcement and city officials, prompting them to take stringent measures to curb such incidents.
Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced the charges during a press conference held on Tuesday morning. Bates expressed his dismay and concern over the involvement of parents in incidents of youth violence. He questioned how the city could effectively combat youth violence if parents were active participants in such incidents.
The parents involved in the incident, William Dresden, 40, and Tiffany Harrison, 37, face serious charges. They have been charged with over a dozen counts, including first-degree assault, illegal transportation of a handgun, and conspiracy to commit attempted first-degree murder. The couple’s 15-year-old son, who was indicted in an adult court, has not been identified due to his status as a minor.
The indictment alleges that Dredden and Harrison drove their son to Carver Vocational Technical High School on October 27. They then aided him in attacking a student outside the school. The assault involved striking the victim repeatedly with a handgun and their fists as he waited for his classes to begin.
Following the assault, as the family attempted to leave the scene, the son began shooting, leading to two other students getting injured in the gunfire. One of the injured students reportedly retaliated and fired back at the 15-year-old, causing him injury as well. Most of the encounter was captured on surveillance cameras, providing crucial evidence for the case.
Bates stressed the importance of parents being part of the solution to the problem of youth violence rather than contributing to it. He urged parents to take responsibility for their children’s actions and to guide them towards non-violent resolutions of conflicts.