A child was rushed to the hospital with a critical gunshot wound Thursday night after being shot inside a home on the 300 block of Tayside Way in Landover, near Summerfield Park. Police responded to the residential block, tucked between Garrett A. Morgan Boulevard and Glen Valley Drive, around 7:45 p.m. following reports that a child had been shot inside a house.
According to DC News Now, the Prince George's County Police Department received the call about the shooting at that address and time, and the child was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. FOX 5 DC similarly reported that officers found a child suffering a critical gunshot wound inside the home and rushed the child to medical care. WUSA9 independently confirmed that dispatchers sent officers to the same block after calls came in that a juvenile had been shot inside a residential structure.
Police posted about the shooting on the X platform Thursday, saying detectives and the department's evidence team would work through the night to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, per the same account relayed by DC News Now. Officials said they would share additional information as soon as the investigation allows. As of the latest reporting, no arrests have been announced and the exact circumstances of how the child was shot remain unresolved.
A Neighborhood Under District III's Watch
The Tayside Way block falls within the coverage area of Prince George's County Police Department's District III station, headquartered at 7600 Barlowe Road in Landover, which also patrols Palmer Park, Dodge Park, and Glenarden. The shooting adds to a string of gun violence cases involving young people that District III and neighboring commands have handled in the opening days of September. Just two days earlier, a teenage boy was hospitalized in critical but stable condition after being shot on the 900 block of Larchmont Avenue in Capitol Heights, a case in which detectives have not identified a suspect, as Hoodline previously reported.
Days before that, county police reported that an adult male died after a shooting on Mount Lubentia Court East on August 31, with no arrest announced, according to Bowie Patch. That case, which Hoodline also covered when the victim was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead, is among the recent shootings reported in Prince George's County.
What Maryland Law Says About Guns and Kids
Whenever a minor is shot inside a residence, Maryland's child access prevention statute becomes relevant to investigators. Under the state's Jaelynn's Law, Maryland uses an under-18 standard and includes stricter firearm-storage rules, with summaries describing guns being locked away unloaded. Maryland Criminal Law § 4-104 further specifies that an adult who leaves an unsecured loaded firearm accessible to a minor can face misdemeanor charges, fines up to $1,000, and a five-year ban on owning regulated firearms if a child suffers death or serious bodily injury, with repeat violations triggering an automatic firearm disqualification.
It is not yet known whether the Tayside Way shooting was accidental, self-inflicted, or the result of an altercation, nor who owned the firearm involved. Those questions are expected to shape whether prosecutors eventually pursue charges under the state's child access laws once the evidence team completes its canvass.
A County Divided Between Falling Street Crime and Rising Domestic Incidents
The shooting arrives amid a curious split in Prince George's County's public safety data. County figures cited in reporting showed homicides dropped 40% in 2025 compared with 2024. Research published by MDPI reported that 29% of participants owned firearms, and that 86% of those gun-owning households had children living at home.
Police are asking anyone with information about the Tayside Way shooting to come forward. Crime Solvers offers cash rewards for anonymous tips submitted through 1-866-411-TIPS or the P3 Tips app that lead to an arrest and indictment in violent crime cases. The investigation remains active, and police have said they will release more details as it develops.
