AMBER Alert issued: Search is on for missing Maryland 7-year-old

Authorities in Maryland are asking for the public’s help in searching for a missing 7-year-old boy who is the subject of an AMBER Alert.

Khalil Rodney Ringgold was last seen Monday morning at Churchville Elementary in Churchville getting into a car with a man who is believed to be known to him, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office says.

The car is a gray 2022 Nissan Altima with Ohio tag JFK3146.

Ringgold is described as a Black male with black hair and brown eyes. He stands at 3 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 32 pounds.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office at 410-612-1717.

What is an AMBER Alert?

AMBER Alert is a nationwide notification system used to alert the public of missing children under the age of 18.

The alerts are shared across radio, TV, road signs, cellphones and other data-enabled devices.

As of last year, 1,200 children were found because of the AMBER Alert system and 180 children were rescued as a result of the emergency alerts.

In order for an alert to be issued, an abduction must have occurred, the child must be at risk of serious injury or death and there has to be descriptive information of the child, the suspect or the suspect’s vehicle.

“Every child featured in an AMBER Alert has been reported missing to law enforcement. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child,” Alan S. Nanavaty, Executive Director of Special Programs for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, in an email to Newsweek.

Nanavaty said on average, there are generally fewer than 200 AMBER Alerts issued each year. The alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cell phones, and other data-enabled devices. The AMBER Alert system is being used in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Indian country, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also leverages ways to include poster and social media distribution to amplify AMBER Alerts to the public, Nanavaty said.

Newsweek created a map using 2022 data showing states have seen the most AMBER alerts in 2022. According to the data, there were 31 Amber Alerts in Texas in 2022.

Active AMBER Alerts

There is one other active AMBER Alert for a boy in Tennessee.

Sebastian Rogers, 15, has been missing since February 26. He was last seen at his mother and stepfather’s home in Sumner County, Tennessee.

He is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes and he wears glasses. He was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt.

Anyone with information about Rogers is being asked to call the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center at 615-451-3838 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story or AMBER Alerts? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com