LA PLATA, Md. — The Charles County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, May 1, 2026, outlined new details about multiple firearms recovered in connection with incidents at St. Charles High School, including one weapon produced using a 3D printer.
Sheriff Troy D. Berry said during the press conference the cases highlight a growing and urgent public safety concern, emphasizing the department’s effort to remain transparent with the community as the investigation continues.
“This is unacceptable behavior,” Berry said. “This is not just a school issue. This is a community issue.”
Officials said the incidents occurred on consecutive days — April 29 and April 30 — both involving 15-year-old students at St. Charles High School.
According to officials, in one case, a firearm recovered on April 29 was manufactured using a 3D printer located inside a juvenile’s bedroom closet, which investigators believe was used in the production of the polymer-style firearm. In the second case, a fully automatic handgun was recovered from a student’s locker, and detectives later recovered six firearms from the student’s home, including four found in the student’s bedroom.
Officials said all of the firearms were found unsecured, and the serial number on one of the firearms was partially obliterated. Investigators are working to determine how the student obtained the weapons.
Investigators are analyzing the weapons through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network to determine whether they are linked to other incidents. Results are still pending.
Berry said the agency is committed to keeping the public informed as more details become available.
“We’re having an honest conversation about where we are as a community,” he said. “This is alarming, and it requires action on many levels.”
Authorities said it remains too early to determine whether the cases are connected or what led the students to bring firearms to school. However, Berry raised concerns about how young people are accessing and even manufacturing weapons.
“The troubling issue is not solely that they’re in possession of these guns,” Berry said. “These guns are being manufactured right in their homes by young people who are 15 years old.”
Officials said the April 29 incident began after a school resource officer received a tip and encountered a student, leading to a brief struggle and the recovery of a firearm on the student’s person. In a separate incident the following day, school administrators identified suspicious behavior, searched a student’s locker, and discovered a weapon, prompting further investigation and the execution of search warrants.
Berry credited students and school staff for reporting concerns.
“If you see something, say something,” he said.
The sheriff also addressed parental responsibility, noting Maryland law allows for potential charges in cases involving negligence, but each situation is reviewed individually with the State’s Attorney’s Office.
“There needs to be more engagement and involvement in the home,” Berry said.
When asked about broader safety measures such as installing metal detectors, Berry said those decisions fall under the authority of the school system’s superintendent and elected school board.
Addressing concerns about 3D-printed firearms, Berry said the printed components themselves are typically not metal, but noted that other necessary parts are metal and would likely be detected.
He also pointed to the broader issue of firearm components being purchased online and assembled outside traditional regulations, calling for legislative discussions.
Officials described the recent decision to shut down and sweep a school campus as serious but necessary.
“To shut down a school to conduct a comprehensive search is very troubling,” Berry said.
Law enforcement and school officials said they will continue working with community partners on enforcement, prevention, and education efforts, stressing the need for a coordinated response across schools, homes, and the community.
“In my humble opinion, this is alarming, and this criminal activity must be mitigated on many levels,” Berry said.
Photos courtesy of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office show firearms recovered in St. Charles school investigations, including a 3D-printed weapon.
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