On November 12, 2018, Joseph Horace Comegna, a 53-year-old male, died in Essex, Maryland. A 21-year veteran of the Baltimore County Police Department, Comegna served as the school resource officer at Eastern Technical High School, where he had been a fixture for four years. He had been a school resource officer for a total of 12 years. The incident that led to his death occurred within the walls of the high school, a place where he was known and respected by students and faculty alike.
Faculty members at Eastern Technical High School were alerted by a sound coming from Officer Comegna's office, located in the school's basement. Upon investigating, they discovered him suffering from a gunshot wound. A call for service was made around 12:20 p.m., and though he was transported to a local medical center, he was pronounced deceased. The school was temporarily placed on lockdown following the discovery, but students were dismissed at their normal time.
The investigation into Officer Comegna's death was handled by the Baltimore County Police Department. Surveillance footage from the hallway outside his office indicated that he was the only person who entered or was present in the office at the time of the incident. Investigators found a single gun at the scene and determined that the fatal shot was from his service weapon. His death was officially ruled a suicide, and authorities stated that there was no evidence of foul play. Consequently, there were no suspects or arrests in connection with his death. The motive behind his actions was not publicly disclosed. In the wake of the tragedy, crisis counselors were made available to support students and staff at the school.
