As police continue to find gang ties to a gun deal that allegedly took place in a locker room at Montgomery County’s Albert Einstein High School, students and parents say that a growing number of students are affiliated with the notorious, predominantly Hispanic gangs seen across parts of the county.
As of Thursday evening, Montgomery County police had arrested five students between the ages of 14 and 17, and a 20-year-old man, Raul Garcia, on theft and gun-related charges. The arrests came in the wake of a gun being fired during what’s being called a gun sale and the discovery of three handguns and several knives in a student’s locker.
Police now say the gun went off while a 15-year-old boy with ties to one gang was attempting to sell a handgun he stole from his girlfriend’s house to a 14-year-old boy from another gang. As two other boys, ages 16 and 17, also with alleged gang ties, watched the exchange, the intended buyer accidentally pulled the trigger.
The 15-year-old and his girlfriend, also 15, worked together to steal the guns and other items from her home. Further investigation revealed a fourth gun had been stolen and given to Garcia, of Silver Spring, who police say was considering buying the weapon.
In the past five years, the number of Hispanic students at Einstein has skyrocketed as the number of white students has plummeted. And parents and students say that Hispanic gangs have made major inroads over the same period.
Students on their way to school Thursday morning said they felt safe at Einstein, but noted the increased presence of gangs, in particular the violent Salvadoran gang MS-13. The gang has made its presence known in Kensington and nearby Wheaton with both its violent acts and graffiti, parents and students said. Some of the students and Garcia were from Silver Spring, where the gang’s presence is well-documented by police.
“There are certain people who are involved in gangs like MS-13, but I think more claim it than are actually involved,” said Bruna Guimaraes, 16, a junior at Einstein, noting the prestige that can come in some circles by even claiming a gang connection.
Charges against another 16-year-old male student are still pending, police said, and it’s possible others could be coming as police investigate the ties between the guns found Wednesday and a fight between students with gang ties late last week.
