Montgomery County police are searching for the vandal responsible for graffiti referencing the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting at Bradley Hills Elementary School in Bethesda.
The Montgomery County Police Department said Monday that detectives were trying to identify a suspect.
Police will increase patrols by plainclothes and uniformed officers around Bradley Hills Elementary during school hours and overnight, along with added community engagement officers inside the school during the day.
There is also an increased presence of Montgomery County Public Schools security.
Bradley Hills Principal Brooks Kemp said in a letter to the school community on Sunday that four additional security personnel will be inside the school, along with additional cameras and lighting and more overnight security at the school’s playground, according to The Banner.
Police ask that anyone with information about the graffiti call 301-279-8000 or submit a tip to Crime Solvers of Montgomery County by calling 1-866-411-8477 or visiting the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County website.
Peter Moran, the county’s chief of public schools, said in a letter to the school community that the graffiti referenced Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
On Dec. 14, 2012, Lanza shot and killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Lanza, who had killed his mother before the rampage, ultimately killed himself.
Mr. Moran wrote, “The use of the name of an individual responsible for such a heinous act … can only be interpreted as an act intended to intimidate and cause fear within the Bradley Hills School community, and the broader neighborhood and community, too. … this despicable act will be met with a substantial and uniform response.”
Police said the graffiti was reported on Saturday afternoon, about a week after a shed on school property was found burned in what authorities believe was arson.
The alleged arson is being investigated separately by the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Mr. Moran said in his letter that it is not clear if the two incidents are connected, but that authorities are investigating the possibility that they are.
