Peyton Ham: Who is the teenager fatally shot by a Maryland state trooper?
A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed by a Maryland state trooper on April 14. Teen Peyton Ham had an airsoft gun and a knife and pointed the replica toy gun at the trooper, according to investigators. Who is the teenager fatally shot by a Maryland state trooper? Peyton Ham was an honor student who […]
A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed by a Maryland state trooper on April 14.
Teen Peyton Ham had an airsoft gun and a knife and pointed the replica toy gun at the trooper, according to investigators.
Who is the teenager fatally shot by a Maryland state trooper?
Peyton Ham was an honor student who loved cooking with his mother and enjoyed having political debates at the family dinner table, relatives said.
He was fatally shot outside a home near the State Police barracks in Leonardtown.
“Our family is absolutely heartbroken and shattered over this sudden, unexpected loss of life of a talented young man, filled with promise,” a statement from the family says.
“Words cannot express the gratitude our family is feeling with the overwhelming love and support being extended by our friends and family in our amazing community.”
What happened to Peyton Hamm?
A witness saw Ham in the driveway of a home “in a shooting stance” and pointing the gun at the trooper, who fired at the teenager and wounded him, according to State Police Superintendent Woodrow Jones III.
Another witness told investigators Ham then pulled out a knife and tried to get up, according to the superintendent.
“The trooper ordered him to drop the knife before he fired again,” Jones told reporters.
The airsoft gun that the teenager held is commonly used to shoot BBs and is “a close representation of an actual handgun,” said Jones.
The trooper who shot Ham responded alone within minutes of the State Police receiving two 911 calls about someone acting suspiciously, according to the superintendent.
The trooper who shot the teen has been with the State Police for two years and seven months and has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
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“There are many questions we do not have the answers to at this point in the investigation,” Jones said.
“However, we are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to determine what has occurred.”
Leonardtown is about 60 miles southeast of Washington, DC.