Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly expressed grave concerns about escalating juvenile crime in his traditionally low-crime jurisdiction, following a tragic shooting that claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy in Aberdeen last Saturday. Aberdeen police have charged a 16-year-old in connection with the homicide.
According to Aberdeen Police Sergeant Jason Neidig, both the victim and the accused were students at Havre de Grace High School.
Speaking on radio Monday morning, Cassilly attributed the rise in youth violence to what he sees as insufficient accountability in the juvenile justice system. “When they understand there’s no consequences, behavior gets really bad,” Cassilly stated. He referenced his experience in the Senate, noting that both Washington D.C. and Baltimore police chiefs had previously identified lack of consequences for juvenile offenders as a critical issue.
This incident follows a disturbing pattern of youth violence in the county. In September, another tragic incident occurred when a 16-year-old allegedly killed a 15-year-old in a bathroom at Joppatowne High School during school hours. An anonymous Joppatowne teacher emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “There was a gun brought into a Harford County School. Like isolated or not, a child was murdered.”
The county faced additional controversy when investigations revealed that a 16-year-old suspect in the rape and murder of 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton had been attending Edgewood High School. The suspect was reportedly an undocumented immigrant and alleged MS13 gang member who was already under investigation for the crime.
Cassilly is advocating for stronger communication protocols with school systems. He proposes that schools should be notified when youth are under investigation for violent crimes, not just upon arrest. “You’ve got a kid who is a suspect in a rape and murder, sitting in the classroom next to your daughters and sons… with no one in the school system knowing that,” Cassilly said. “That’s nonsense, there’s got to be a different standard here.”
The County Executive expressed frustration with the lack of legislative action on these issues. “This has got to be reversed,” he stated, adding that he sees little appetite in the General Assembly to address these concerns, a situation he describes as “a terrible tragedy.”
Credit: Fox 45
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