GLEN BURNIE, MD — A loaded firearm brought to school by a student discharged inside a classroom at Freetown Elementary School on the morning of February 4, 2026, resulting in injury to the student who had brought the weapon.
Officers from the Anne Arundel County Police Department responded to the incident around 8:25 a.m. School officials stated that a student brought a handgun from home, and it discharged while in a classroom with other students present. The teacher acted quickly, securing the firearm and providing aid to the injured student before contacting school administrators and police.
No other students were physically harmed. The injured child was transported to a local hospital and is expected to recover from a non-life-threatening injury.
Following an investigation, detectives determined that the child had accessed the weapon at his residence. As a result, 34-year-old Eashan John Stefanski of Pasadena, Maryland, was charged via criminal summons for leaving a loaded firearm accessible to a minor, under Maryland Criminal Law 4-104.
Stefanski was served with the summons on February 5.
Anne Arundel County Crisis Response teams have been made available to support students and families affected by the incident. Additional support services are being provided at the school.
Law enforcement continues to encourage the community to share any information that may help their investigation. Tips can be reported anonymously through the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line.
Local residents are also reminded that free gun locks are available through a county-wide safety initiative in partnership with the Gun Violence Intervention Team and other community organizations.
This incident underscores the critical importance of responsible firearm storage, especially in homes with children. Firearms should always be secured with a gun lock or in a safe, inaccessible to minors. Tragedies like this are preventable through basic, proactive safety measures. Supporting the Second Amendment goes hand in hand with responsible gun ownership, and that includes doing everything possible to ensure firearms never end up in the hands of unsupervised children.
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