What to Know
- Elisha Cole was a senior at Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf, Maryland.
- Police are searching for the person who shot Cole, 17, after a dispute between two groups in Waldorf.
A 17-year-old high school student was shot and killed in Waldorf, Maryland, on Wednesday after a dispute between two groups, and police are still searching for the shooter.
Elisha Amon Cole was a senior at Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf.
"This is a heartbreaking time for Elisha’s family and our school community," Principal Michael Charlton said in a letter to students Thursday morning.
Andre Kenan, one of Cole's teachers, said the teen was a very respectful student.
"We're stunned because, like I said, he was a very respectful person, not just to teachers but to staff," Kenan said. "Prior to coming to Thomas Stone, he had a lot of aspirations of going to college."
The Charles County Sheriff's Office was called to the 11200 block of Wildmeadows Street just before 8 p.m. for a report of shots fired. When they arrived, they found Cole dead from a gunshot wound.
"We were sitting down watching TV, and we heard about 15 gunshots," neighbor Paula Alston, a neighbor said.
Police believe one group was standing in front of a house when another group approached. Investigators say there may have been a dispute.
Photos show holes in a neighbor's bathroom after bullets whizzed through the outside wall. In another house, a bullet made its way to an interior wall.
Cole's school is working to get a team of counselors in place to help students and staff cope with his death.
Anyone with information for police is asked to call 1-866-411-8477.
