Kristopher Alexander Raul McDonald, 16, of La Plata
UPDATE 3/25/2019: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, advises that on the afternoon of Friday, March 22, 2019, the Grand Jury for Charles County, Maryland returned an indictment for Kristopher Raul-Alex McDonald, 16, of La Plata. The Grand Jury indictment charges McDonald with seven crimes.
The most serious counts are Possessing Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute and Possessing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
According to court documents, after apprehension, McDonald stated that he consumed two of the brownies and stated that he intended to give some to his friends at school. McDonald also stated that the handgun found in his bookbag did belong to him.
Covington, explaining why McDonald has been charged as an adult despite being 16 years old, said, “The State has no choice but to charge this defendant as an adult. The law is very clear: someone 16 years of age or older who is accused of certain crimes must be charged as an adult. Mr. McDonald is accused of at least two crimes that require adult charging: possession of a handgun and possessing a handgun in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Charging him as an adult, however, does not necessarily mean that his case will ultimately be adjudicated in adult court. The law also allows for a juvenile that has been charged as an adult to ask the court to send the case to juvenile court. Such requests are routinely made, and – depending upon the crime, the juvenile’s criminal history and other considerations – the Courts often send these types of cases to Juvenile Court. Each defendant and each case is different so, at this point, it would be foolish of me to predict what the Court might do in this particular case.”
Summary of Charges
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance On School Property
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance
- Possessing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
- Possession of a Firearm on School Property
- Wear, Carry and Transport of Handgun Upon Person
- Loaded Handgun on Person
- Possession of a Regulated Firearm Under the Age of 21
UPDATE 3/19/2019: According to court documents, Kristopher Alexander Raul McDonald, 16, of La Plata, told police he made the brownies the day before (3/18/2019) and infused them with marijuana. He stated he had eaten two brownies prior to his arrest. He stated he was going to give some brownies to his friends at school. When asked if was going to sell them for money, he stated he wasn’t sure.
When asked about the handgun McDonald told police, he bought it in his neighborhood sometime in October of last year and carries the handgun because he gets paranoid and needs it for protection. He went on to say he has been carrying the handgun in his bookbag since December, to include bringing it to school.
The handgun was described as a .25 caliber, the gun was fully loaded with one round in the chamber, and the hammer cocked back ready to fire.
3/19/2019: On March 19, 2019, at approximately 10:00 a.m., a teacher at La Plata High School noticed a student who appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
The teacher called school administration to the classroom and an administrator immediately responded and removed the student. Administrators subsequently discovered the student was in possession of a container of marijuana-infused brownies. They also found a loaded gun in his book bag. The School Resource Officer recovered the gun and drugs and arrested the student, Kristopher Alexander Raul McDonald, 16, of La Plata.
McDonald was charged as an adult with possession of a weapon on school property, possession of drugs with intent to distribute while armed, loaded handgun on person, carrying a concealed dangerous weapon and other related charges.
Cpl. K. Burger is continuing the investigation to determine where the student got the gun and why he brought it to school.
At this point in the investigation, there is no indication McDonald planned to use the weapon against anyone. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Cpl. K. Burger at (301) 932-2222.
Kristopher Alexander Raul McDonald, 16, of La Plata
