A student at Northwood High School in Montgomery County was taken into custody Friday morning, December 5, after being found with a gun on school grounds. Montgomery County Department of Police reports that the altercation, which led to the 17-year-old's arrest, took place shortly after 8 a.m. and initiated a swift response from law enforcement.
The situation unfolded when a witness alerted school staff to the presence of a firearm during a conflict between two students. Officers arrived at the school, located at 11200 Old Georgetown Road, and detained the teenager, Isaiah Gaunt, without further incident. According to the official press release, Gaunt was found to be in possession of a loaded 3D printed, privately manufactured firearm (PMF) tucked in his waistband.
Montgomery County officials have charged Gaunt with multiple firearms-related offenses. These include possessing a firearm without a serial number, a handgun on a person, possession of a firearm by a minor, and a loaded handgun on a person. A notable aspect of this case is the involvement of a privately manufactured firearm, which typically lacks the serial numbers found on commercially produced guns, complicating the task of tracing such weapons.
Gaunt, a resident of Silver Spring, is facing charges as an adult. Following his arrest, he was processed at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit and currently awaits a bond hearing. The events at Northwood High School come amidst ongoing national debates regarding gun control, which include discussions about 3D printed and privately made firearms, collectively known as "ghost guns" due to their lack of traceable identifiers.
