BALTIMORE — Baltimore police responded on Dec. 2 to the city fire academy after a trainee allegedly threatened to harm classmates, and investigators later found multiple weapons in his vehicle, according to CBS Baltimore.
A trainee at Baltimore City’s Fire Academy on Pulaski Highway threatened to harm fellow recruits, reportedly saying he would be “stacking bodies” and “taking himself out,” sources told CBS Baltimore.
Classmates alerted instructors to the threats, prompting them to contact police, according to CBS Baltimore. Officers reportedly found several weapons in the trainee’s vehicle, including 10 semi-automatic firearms and a handgun.
Firefighters’ Union President Matt Coster said the situation was deeply troubling, calling it “an alarming incident.”
“Obviously, we train our firefighters and recruits to remain observant and calm in those kinds of situations,” Coster said. “We praise them for their quick action and alerting the fire academy staff to a possible situation that could’ve been very detrimental to the academy.”
Baltimore police said they responded to a report of an individual in crisis after fire officials raised concerns about a trainee’s messages. A Crisis Response Team took the trainee to a hospital for evaluation under an emergency petition, and the fire department says the incident remains under active investigation.
