Teenager is acquitted in Maryland ‘senior skip day’ shooting

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — One of two teenagers accused of injuring five teens in a Maryland shooting in April has been acquitted.

Defense attorney Tom Mooney said in a statement that his 16-year-old client was set to be released Wednesday.

“A young man has been acquitted today after spending more than six months in detention for a crime he did not commit,” Mooney wrote in an email. “The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was identified as a suspect soon after the incident, prompting law enforcement to concentrate their efforts on constructing a case against him rather than pursuing other potential suspects or exploring additional evidence.”

A 14-year-old and 16-year-old were arrested after the shooting in a park in Greenbelt, Maryland, during an unsanctioned senior skip day party April 19. Mooney said that throughout the investigation, concerns arose that investigators placed undue focus on implicating his client, leading to a lack of thoroughness in pursuing other viable leads.

“This investigative tunnel vision ultimately culminated in a trial where, after careful consideration of the evidence — or lack thereof — the court found him not guilty,” Mooney wrote. “The presence of reasonable doubt played a crucial role in the verdict.”

The other accused shooter is scheduled to go on trial in December, WJLA-TV reported.

Five teens were injured in the shooting. They were later released from the hospital.