Whitman High student faces charges after arson, graffiti incidents at Bethesda elementary school

A 16-year-old Walt Whitman High School student was charged Wednesday with vandalism, arson and threats of mass violence after he allegedly lit a shed on fire at another Bethesda school and later vandalized a fence there with graffiti referencing a 2012 mass school shooting, Montgomery County police said Wednesday in a press release.

The teen, whom police did not identify because he is a minor, was arrested at his Bethesda home about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, police said. His case will be referred to the Department of Juvenile Services for disposition.

Police noted officers would continue to have an increased presence at and near Bradley Hills Elementary School at 8701 Hartsdale Ave, but that there is no ongoing threat to the school or the public.

An investigation into the vandalism began after graffiti was discovered Saturday on an existing fence at Bradley Hills Elementary that “included the name of the perpetrator” of the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, according to a letter from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) officials. In a Monday statement, police had said officers found the graffiti after responding to the school at roughly 2 p.m. Saturday for a report of vandalism.

The graffiti incident came after an outdoor storage shed at the school was intentionally set on fire about one week earlier, according to the letter. MCPS officials said in a Saturday community letter that the fire was under investigation, but it was unclear then whether the two incidents were connected.

On Monday, police said the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting the investigation into the shed fire.

Read more: Bethesda Today