The 18-year-old charged in the double shooting near The Mall in Columbia Saturday was a Howard County Public School System student in Passages, a program officials reinstated last fall after a Howard High student was arrested at school with a loaded gun in his backpack.

Emmetson Zeah, of Columbia, was arrested Sunday and charged with first-degree murder in connection with a shooting near The Mall in Columbia that killed 16-year-old Michael Robertson and left a 15-year-old with critical injuries. Both victims are HCPSS students, Robertson at Wilde Lake High and the 15-year-old at Oakland Mills High.

Zeah is a student in the HCPSS Passages program, which “provides enhanced services for students who require additional support and supervision upon transitioning back to school after a reportable offense or placement,” according to Brian Bassett, director of communication and engagement for the school system.

The Passages program is usually made up of a handful of students who learn in person at the Howard County Department of Education’s central office building. The program was discontinued several years ago, but Superintendent Bill Barnes reinstated it after the October arrest at Howard High highlighted gaps in communication with students who are involved with the Department of Juvenile Services or the county’s police department.

In December, Zeah was charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, assault, burglary, home invasions and other charges in connection with a November stabbing attempt involving a minor. After posting a $50,000 bond, Zeah was granted private home detention and placed on an ankle monitor.

The Howard County Police Department provided HCPSS on Dec. 20 with information on the reportable offense after school system officials requested information from the department, Bassett said. Zeah did not return to his home school, Atholton High, after the December charges, and attended virtual school before he became a part of the Passages program.

Zeah disclosed his ankle monitor to central office staff members who worked with him, but the school system didn’t find out about the monitor through any other communication, Bassett said.

In October, a 17-year-old Howard High student was arrested at school with a loaded gun in his backpack in connection with a shooting in Columbia that killed 26-year-old Kendrick McLellan. At the time of his arrest, the teen was under DJS supervision and wearing an ankle monitor for previous charges of attempted murder in Anne Arundel County, police said.

Barnes expressed his frustration with communication from DJS. Because of state law, the school system was aware that a student receiving DJS support was enrolling from another district, but officials weren’t informed that the student had been charged with attempted murder.

Following requests from state lawmakers, the Maryland State Board of Education voted to approve policy changes that require local superintendents to forward information about students charged or convicted of reportable offenses to staff in other districts when the student transfers.

Barnes also outlined plans to bolster school security and communication in the wake of the October incident at Howard High, which included the establishment of a school safety advisory group, a “rigorous interview process” for “significant reportable offenses of high safety concern” and a review of each case for students with reportable offenses.

In January, Barnes presented a proposed budget for fiscal 2026, announcing funding of a full-time staff position for the Passages program.

“A full-time employee is needed to provide leadership and management to this program, help process reportable offenses, manage the gateway referral process and to manage the support staff who work closely with students who have increased behavioral needs,” Barnes said.

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