Newburg, Maryland Home Invaders Chased Off By Victim With Handgun

Newburg, Maryland

From the August 21, 2009 Independent:

Two masked men armed with a handgun held up a man and woman Tuesday in a Newburg home invasion, according to police.

The victim arrived at the Waverly Point Road home and was talking with his wife in the garage at about 8:25 p.m. when the robbers walked up, police reported. The robber carrying the handgun ordered the victim inside the home and started looking for valuables. The second masked man stayed in the garage with the victim's wife, according to police.

The arrival of the victim's son disrupted the robbery and gave the victim a chance to get a handgun. The victim fired two shots at an open field, and the robbers ran away toward a wooded area, according to Diane Richardson, spokeswoman for the Charles County Sheriff's Office.

The victim then called police, who searched the area and gathered evidence from the scene.

Maryland: Shots fired during home invasion

Frederick, Maryland

From the Frederick News-Post of July 7, 2009

Shots fired during home invasion

The Frederick Police Department is looking for a man who invaded a home at 207 S. Jefferson St. early this morning, according to police.

Officers went to the scene about 2:49 a.m. after shots were reportedly fired, police stated.

A white man with dark hair, believed to be named Kevin, had forced his way into the home, police said.

The man allegedly took money from a resident, who fired two shots at the man, Lt. Clark Pennington, police spokesman, said. Police do not believe the man was injured.

Witnesses said the man was wearing shorts and a dark shirt, Pennington said.

Officers searched the area but did not find the man.

Officers are investigating whether the same man may have committed similar crimes in the past at the same location, Pennington said.

According to Robbie Snyder who lives in another building on the property, a white man of medium build, between 25 and 30 years old, broke into his mother and his uncle’s home between 2:30 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. by breaking a lock and window in the back door. Snyder said both residents are in their 80s and his uncle is wheelchair bound.

His uncle fired two shots from a 38-caliber revolver at the intruder who then fled the scene, Snyder said.

This is the third time the man has broken into the home and the fifth time he has been there, Snyder said. The first two times Snyder said his uncle gave the man named Kevin money after hearing a "sob story."

The man broke into the home in February and threatened Snyder’s uncle before getting additional money, Snyder said. The man also broke in in late May or early June, Snyder said, and Frederick police were called after each break-in.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 301-600-TIPS or online at fpdcrimetip@fredco-md.net.

Maryland: Guard shoots man during attempted grocery store robbery

Arbitus, Maryland

From the Cantonsville Times of June 23, 2009

Guard shoots man during attempted grocery store robbery

An exchange of gunfire between a security guard and an alleged robber at the Mars Super Market on Maiden Choice Lane and Westland Boulevard, in Arbutus, Sunday evening left the alleged robber with several gunshot wounds, according to Baltimore County police.

It also left the store, at the Maiden Choice Shopping Center in the 1000 block of Maiden Choice Lane, without some of its front windows — which were boarded up Monday morning.

Neither the guard nor any customers in the store were injured, police said.

At 6:52 p.m. June 21, Jamison Harvey Johnson, 40, entered the store and “announced the robbery,” said Bill Toohey, a police spokesman.

Johnson then walked to the store’s customer service office, where he demanded and was given an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

An armed security guard employed by Mars who was inside the store followed Johnson to the store’s entrance and confronted him, police said.

Johnson, whose address is listed as “unknown” in court records, then shot at the guard, Toohey said.

The guard returned fire and Johnson then ran into the parking lot and got into a green Honda Accord, Toohey said.

As the gunman drove away, he again fired on the security guard, who again shot back, Toohey said.

The car was found a short time later at the end of Wilton Farm Drive, in Catonsville.

Police began searching the area, using a helicopter and a K-9 unit.

A man fitting Johnson’s description was spotted walking along Kenwood Avenue, in Catonsville, with several gunshot wounds by an officer involved in the search at about midnight, almost five hours after the gunfire occurred, Toohey said.

The man was caught after a brief foot chase, police said, and taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he received treatment for gunshot wounds.

Johnson was later charged with armed robbery, attempted murder and two handgun violations — one for the possession of a firearm with a felony conviction.

In 1996, Johnson, then living in the 1800 block of West Pratt Street, in Baltimore, was found guilty of robbery with a deadly weapon, according to court records.

Bail has been denied, and Johnson is being held in the Baltimore County Detention Center, in Towson.

Toohey said another man ran from the store during the incident, which “drew the interest of authorities.”

Police are “checking to see if there is any evidence that can link him to what happened,” Toohey said.

Maryland: Woman Kills Husband in Apparent Self-Defense

Prince George's County, Maryland

From the Washington Post of June 25, 2009

Woman Kills Husband in Apparent Self-Defense

A Prince George's County woman fatally shot her husband in an apparent act of self-defense Saturday after he attacked her at the Capitol Heights duplex where the pair lived in separate units, according to police and neighbors.

Just after 8 a.m., authorities said, police were called to the home in the 700 block of Capitol Heights Boulevard on a report of a domestic dispute. In front of the house, they found Richard Marcellous Wilson, 30, with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Police said Wilson's wife fired the fatal shot.

The circumstances of the incident are unclear, but police think that the shooting "appears to have been in self-defense," said Cpl. Mike Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Prince George's police department. Wilson, police said, had violated an active protective order when he attacked his wife.

Rodriguez declined to name the shooter because she is a victim in the case and has not been charged.

(More)

Maryland: Glen Burnie family thwarts armed robbery attempt, police say

Glen Burnie, Maryland

From the Baltimore Sun of April 9, 2009

Glen Burnie family thwarts armed robbery attempt, police say

A Glen Burnie family tackled an armed man who broke into their apartment, grabbed his handgun and held him down until officers arrived late Wednesday, Anne Arundel County police said.

Shortly before midnight, two men burst into an apartment in the first block of Normandy Drive, brandished a shotgun, fired a handgun and tried to take property from one of the residents of the apartment, police said.

The residents, described as a couple in their 40s and their 20-year-old son, fought one of the suspects to the ground and took his weapon away while the other man ran away, police said.

When police arrived, they arrested Joshua Edward Frazier, 26, of the 300 block of Melvin Ave. in Grasonville and charged him with first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, armed robbery and related offenses.

Police were unable to find the second assailant, who was described as a light-skinned black man between the ages of 20 and 27 with acne, wearing a faded red hoodie, black jeans, a red bandanna on his face and a black winter vest.

Anyone with information is asked to call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP

Maryland: Baltimore Police Blotter

Baltimore, Maryland

From the Baltimore Sun of December 15, 2008

Baltimore Police Blotter

Police were seeking two men and a woman who attempted to rob three males at Hammershire and Reisterstown roads about 9:30 p.m. Friday. While the men walked down the street, a man armed with a handgun and a woman also carrying a handgun exited a silver Toyota Camry occupied by a second man and demanded their money. When one of the victims grabbed one of the guns, the two fled back to the car and drove off with no money or property.

Maryland: Police: Liquor Store Owner Kills Would-be Robber

Largo, Maryland

From WJLA of December 12, 2008

Police: Liquor Store Owner Kills Would-be Robber

The co-owner of a Largo liquor shot and killed a man during an attempted robbery Friday, police said.

Bill Miles, another co-owner of Kettering Liquors, was there. He saw the shooting. He says the would-be robber came in with a gun and a struggle ensued. Officers say it ended when Miles' business partner pulled out his gun and shot the man.

"There were a lot of us in the tussle and so it didn't work out too well for the other guy," Miles said. "It's tragic. Somebody died today. Good news is, it wasn't one of us. It was the bad guy."

The owner who shot the man was identified as Bill Robertson by Carolyn Tucker, a store employee.

"He must have thought somebody was going to get hurt," she said.

Tucker arrived for work around 8:30 Friday morning. She was met by police officers, crime scene tape and the news one of her employers shot and killed a robber. Tucker said it was the first hold-up she knew of at Kettering Liquors.

Solly Sellers, a Kettering Liquor customer, defended the co-owner's actions: "Would you defend yourself if you got robbed? Sure you should defend yourself. Why not?"

The co-owner who opened fire has not been charged. Investigators will determine whether the shooting was justified.

A handgun was recovered from the deceased man at the scene, police said.

Neighboring business owners in the shopping center say the area has been plagued with crime. The liquor store is protected by bars on its windows and, according to a friend of the owner, it has barbed wire in the ceiling to protect against burglars who come in through the roof.

Kevin McMann, another merchant in the Largo Plaza, said, "It's unfortunate for the robber, but it, you know, had to be done, in my opinion. Maybe it'll send a message out to other people: Don't mess with the owners."

Maryland: Police:Garage owner fatally shoots would-be robber

Baltimore, Maryland

From WJZ of August 30, 2008

Police:Garage owner fatally shoots would-be robber

Baltimore police say the owner of an auto repair shop fatally shot a man trying to rob his business.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. Friday at Joe's Garage in northwest Baltimore.

Police spokesman Sterling Clifford says this was the second time that owner Joseph Goldman has shot someone trying to rob his business, but he did not have further details about the first shooting.

In Friday's incident, police say two men entered the business and displayed a handgun, but Goldman grabbed his own gun and fired at the men, hitting one.

The injured man was taken to Sinai Hospital where police say he was pronounced dead. Police did not release that man's name.

The second man fled and police are still looking for him.

Maryland: Burglar shot, killed in Park Heights home

Park Heights, Maryland

From the Baltimore Sun of July 16, 2008

Burglar shot, killed in Park Heights home

A Park Heights man shot and killed a 45-year-old man who was attempting to burglarize his aunt's home early Wednesday morning, a police spokeswoman said.

Police did not release the name of the man who was killed because next of kin had not been notified. They also did not release the name of the shooter Wednesday.

Several people at the man's house Wednesday declined to speak with a reporter.

Police received a call reporting a shooting at the 3800 block of Hayward Ave. about 1:10 a.m. Wednesday, said police spokeswoman Nicole Monroe.

When officers arrived, they were told that a man had broken into a home. A man living in that house heard someone come into the basement, and he went upstairs to get a his .38-caliber handgun, police said. He was the registered owner of the gun, police said.

The man, armed with the weapon, went to investigate and heard footsteps upstairs. He called out to his aunt to see whether she was walking around the house, Monroe said.

Then he walked up to the first floor and saw the burglar running through the rear door of the kitchen and fired once, striking the burglar in the back, Monroe said.

The burglar ran out the back door and collapsed near a shed, Monroe said. The man called 911, put his handgun on the kitchen table and waited for police to arrive. Medics rushed the burglar to Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:05 a.m.

The state's attorney's office is waiting for the completion of the homicide investigation before reviewing the case to determine whether to press charges, said Margaret Burns, a spokeswoman for the state's attorney's office.

From WBAL of July 17, 2008

Resident's Shooting Of Intruder Justified

The shooting that left an intruder dead at the hands of a west Baltimore resident has been ruled justifiable homicide, and the shooter will not be charged.

The ruling came from the city state's attorney's office on Thursday.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday, police were called to a home in the 3800 block of Hayward Street for a home invasion and shooting.

Authorities said an 82-year-old woman and her nephew were inside the home when someone broke in.

Police said the nephew shot the intruder in the back.

Cumberland, Maryland Home Invaders Shot

Cumberland, Maryland

From June 25, 2008 Your4State.com:

CUMBERLAND, MD - A man was shot during an attempted robbery at a home in Cumberland Wednesday morning.

Investigators with the Allegany County Combined Criminal Investigation Unit say there was an altercation at a home in the 300-block of Pulaski Street.

Residents heard gunshots just before 6:50 a.m.

Police say Michael Evans and Corey Adams of Petersburg, Virginia came into the house and demanded money.

Evans was shot at several times in the buttocks and leg. The two ran out of the home and drove out of the area.

When officers arrived at the home, there was one victim with non life-threatening injuries. The people witnesses gave police a description of the suspects and their vehicle.

Officers stopped the suspects on Interstate 68 and Evans was taken to Cumberland Memorial Hospital. He was later taken to Baltimore Shock Trauma for more treatment.

Evans and Adams face several charges of armed robbery, assault and theft.

Maryland: Police: Dry Cleaner Owner Shoots Robber

Baltimore, Maryland

From WJZ of June 11, 2008

Police: Dry Cleaner Owner Shoots Robber

Baltimore City Police say a dry cleaner shot a would-be robber Wednesday afternoon.

It happened at St. Paul Cleaners around 1:45 p.m.

Police say this is the second time the suspect had attempted to rob the place.

Police say the suspect was armed with a knife when he came into the shop. The store owner shot the suspect in the hip, arm and leg. He was transported to Shock Trauma where he is expected to survive his injuries.

Maryland: Armed Man Fatally Shot by Security Guard

Prince George's County, Maryland

From the The Washington Post of March 1, 2008

Armed Man Fatally Shot by Security Guard

A private security guard shot and killed a 26-year-old man at an apartment complex near Glassmanor Elementary School in Oxon Hill yesterday morning, Prince George's County police said.

About 9 a.m., the guard approached two men in the 1000 block of Marcy Avenue, said Cpl. Arvel Lewis, a police spokesman. One of the men produced a handgun, and the guard opened fire, striking him, Lewis said. The other man fled the complex on foot.

The wounded man, later identified as Dominique Emanuel McFadden, of the 800 block of Marcy Avenue, died at a hospital. Police found a gun in his possession, Lewis said.

Lewis said police are looking for the other man, described as black, 18 to 20 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and a baseball cap.

Police have not identified the security guard.

Glassmanor Elementary School was locked down briefly after the shooting, but it had reopened by midday.

Lewis said it was unclear what caused the confrontation or whether the two men shot at the security guard. Lewis said that it appears that the security guard's action was justifiable but that an investigation of the shooting had to be completed.

"It appears that he was doing his job, which is to check on people within the apartment complex," Lewis said. McFadden "pulled a gun on the guard. . . . You've got to defend yourself, definitely."

Salisbury, Maryland

From December 2, 2007 WMDT channel 47:

Police say a man attempted to break into a home on Santa Fe drive on Saturday, but was stopped by a gunshot.

The man was shot under the arm by the owner of the home while trying to break into their home.

He was taken to PRMC and treated for minor injuries.

Police are still looking for two more suspects who fled the scene in a white station wagon.

Pasadena, Maryland

From the Maryland Gazette of October 24, 2007

Investigator shoots pit bull in Pasadena

Ryan Scott knew his dog was going to die when he held him in his arms yesterday morning.

The Pasadena man came home on his lunch break to let his 7 month-old pit bull, Hershey, outside. Within a few moments, the dog would be shot by a man identified as a Social Security investigator after the animal got loose.

"I picked him up and I knew he was going to die," Mr. Scott said.

Cpl. Mark Shawkey, county police spokesman, said officers who arrived at Mr. Scott's home on Colony Road at just after 11 a.m. found a official from the Office of the Inspector General.

He told them he was investigating a Social Security case. They did not release his name last night.

The investigator told police he warned the person who answered the door several times to call the dog and that the animal chased after him.

Police said the animal, which weighed 50 to 60 pounds, was shot at very close range, with the shot fired almost straight down. No charges have been filed.

Dorothy Clark, spokesman for the Social Security Administration, said yesterday afternoon that her office had not been informed of the incident. She was unable to say if anyone from the Office of Inspector General was in Pasadena yesterday. The office investigates cases where a Social Security number is fraudulently used to obtain benefits.

Mr. Scott said he wasn't outside when the dog was shot. Hershey, seeing company coming to call, was excited and jumped up on the inspector playfully, he said.

...

Both Mr. Preissler and Mr. Scott argue that if the inspector had time to call off the dog, there was no need to shoot him.

"Obviously he wasn't in imminent danger," Mr. Preissler said.

Mr. Scott's sister had called the dog, who was running back toward the house with his back to the inspector, Mr. Scott said.

"He definitely made the wrong call. The dog wasn't even doing nothing," he said.

Mr. Scott said that he thought pit bulls get a bad reputation, but he has two others and doesn't worry about the baby his girlfriend is carrying being around the dogs.

"I believe because he was a pit, they shot him," Mr. Scott said.

Baltimore, Maryland

From September 18, 2007 Baltimore Sun:
A 21-year-old man was shot multiple times about 9:30 p.m. Sunday when he attempted to rob another man in the 100 block of N. Howard St. Police said a gunman was in the process of robbing another man when the intended victim, 22, grabbed the handgun, turned it toward the gunman and shot him before dropping the gun to the ground. Police said when the robber charged at the victim, the victim retrieved the gun from the ground and shot the other man two more times. The intended robbery victim fled and was being sought. Police said Calvin Ray was shot in the right side of the chest, a hip and lower back and was in serious condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Charges against Ray were pending.

Grantsville, Maryland

From the Cumberland Times-News of August 31, 2007

Man shoots bear in self-defense

Maryland Natural Resources Police said Friday they will not charge an Amish Road man who shot a bear after it charged him and his wife and then attempted to come through a window after the couple sought refuge inside their home Wednesday evening.

“They had every right to do what they did,” said Clarissa Harris, a biologist with the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service. “It is appropriate to defend yourself or your family or your livestock.”

NRP Sgt. Ken Turner said Friday that the husband and wife heard commotion outside their house and then saw a bear trying to get at two penned goats.

“The man said he shouted at the bear and the bear turned and ran toward the couple. He told the investigating officer that he was glad nobody was seated on the porch because the bear moved so quickly that they would not have had time to get into the house,” Turner said.

The bear then attempted to pull an air conditioning unit out of the window frame as the wife held onto the unit from inside.

The husband grabbed a shotgun, loaded it with No. 4 pellets and shot through the window at the bear, according to Turner.

The couple called Maryland State Police at 7:30 p.m. and at 8 p.m. a NRP officer arrived to find the bear struck in the head and neck area and lying, still alive, in the yard. Turner said the officer then put the bear down.

“We were not dealing with a typical black bear, it seems,” Turner said, referring to the aggressive actions of the animal.

Harris said there is evidence that the bear, a 134-pound lactating female, may have been previously injured by an automobile. “There was a rash, lost hair and scrapes,” Harris said. “We have also sent the head away to be tested for rabies.” Harris said there was no evidence of cubs being nearby.

The location of the incident is described as Amish Road not far south of Intestate 68. Because it has brought no charges in the matter, the NRP would not release the family’s name.

Harris said the family did the correct thing by calling the agency right away. “There is a new law in effect that requires people to report that they have shot a bear,” she said.

From the Cumberland Times-News of September 4, 2007

Bear tests positive for rabies

The aggressive bear that was killed a week ago by an Amish Road homeowner after the animal charged and then attempted to pull out a window air conditioner has tested positive for rabies, a Garrett County health official said Tuesday.

“We sent the head to our health and mental hygiene lab in Baltimore on Thursday and got the results Friday,” said Steve Sherrard, director of environmental health for the county’s health department.

At 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29, the homeowners had heard a commotion outside and saw a bear attempting to get at two penned goats. When the husband hollered at the bear, it wheeled and charged the man and his wife, who retreated into their house. At that point, the bear attempted to pull out the air conditioner while the wife held onto it from inside.

The husband then shot the bear through the window, striking it with No. 4 shotgun pellets in the head and neck. The bear was eventually put down by a Natural Resources Police officer.

“After consulting medical personnel at Sacred Heart (Hospital), the family, including two children, will be getting the post-exposure rabies shots,” Sherrard said. “Apparently the exposure to blood came when they were cleaning up the house where the bear had made contact.”

Harry Spiker, who heads the bear management program for the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service, said that neither the police officer nor a wildlife employee who responded will receive shots.

“Our wildlife staff all have the pre-exposure vaccine,” he said.

NRP said the homeowners were acting in self defense and will not be charged for shooting the bear. They have not been identified.

Hagerstown, Maryland

From the Hagerstown Herald-Mail of July 2, 2007

Inturder shot, killed in apartment

A 32-year-old Hagerstown man is dead and a 21-year-old man faces 18 charges after an apparent attempted robbery early Sunday at Youngstoun Court turned violent, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's deputies were called to an apartment on Youngstoun Court shortly after 3:30 a.m. Sunday for a report of a shooting, according to a news release. Deputies found James Michael Conely, of 329 Central Ave., dead in a bedroom, allegedly shot and stabbed by one of the apartment's residents during a struggle.

Michael John Watkins, of 42 East Ave., has been charged with first-, third- and fourth-degree burglary; first-, third- and fourth-degree conspiracy to commit burglary; and two counts each of attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted theft and conspiracy to commit theft.

According to charging documents, the apartment's occupants - Carri Humphrey, 22, and Michelle Reeder, 24 - were preparing for bed at about 3 a.m. Sunday when someone knocked at their door. Humphrey said she looked through the peephole and saw a man who looked like another resident of their building.

She opened the door, and Conely, carrying a rifle and covering his face with a red bandanna, rushed in to the apartment, documents state. Humphrey said she screamed to Reeder to get her handgun. Conely then pushed Humphrey into a closet door, hit her in the face and head with his fist, and pointed his gun at her, documents state.

Reeder retrieved a handgun she owned, ran into the living room and saw Conely holding his gun to Humphrey's head, documents state. Reeder said she took cover behind a couch and attempted to fire a warning shot, but her gun's safety was still on. As she turned it off, Conely pointed his gun at her and said he was going to kill her, documents state.

Reeder said she fired several shots at him, but couldn't tell whether she hit him because he was still coming toward her. Police said Conely suffered a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

Reeder said Conely struck her on the head with his gun, and she briefly blacked out. Then, she said, he chased her into her bedroom, where they struggled, documents state.

Humphrey said she locked herself in the bathroom to call 911, and, hearing the fighting in the bedroom, ran to that room. Reeder told her to "get me my knife," she said, so Humphrey got the knife and gave it to her roommate. Reeder stabbed Conely in the back, and the women fled to a neighbor's residence, documents state.

A deputy responding to the call spotted a man on Mount Aetna Road who matched the description of the one who allegedly knocked on the women's door. He took the man into custody.

Watkins told police that he had been at Conely's residence Saturday night, and that Conely had said he knew of an apartment where they could find drugs and money, documents state. Watkins said the men then planned a robbery, and Conely directed Watkins to the women's apartment. Watkins said he didn't know Conely had a gun, according to the charging documents.

The women were treated at Washington County Hospital and released, a hospital spokeswoman said Sunday.

Layhill, Maryland

From Gaithersburg’s Gazette.net of December 14, 2006

Two men, armored guards trade fire outside Layhill bank

A shootout featuring armored truck guards and two men took place Thursday morning in Layhill as a delivery was being made at a bank. One of the guards suffered a gunshot wound and one of the other men may also have been shot, according to Montgomery County Police.

The driver and guard of the Dunbar Armored truck arrived about 11 a.m. at the Bank of America, 2101 Bel Pre Road, when they were approached by two men, one with a gun.

Police said both the guards and the men fired shots. One of the guards was hit, and was treated at an area hospital; the condition of the other man who may have been shot is unknown.

The men fled toward the Sunoco gas station on Bel Pre Road, joined two to four other men, and drove away in a 2003 blue-green Volkswagen Jetta, which police say was carjacked by the men.

A silver Chrysler minivan was also seen leaving the scene.

The original driver of the Jetta was unharmed and the car was found unoccupied a few hours later, but the location of the car was not released, according to Cpl. Sonia Pruitt, a spokeswoman for Montgomery County Police.

Pruitt also said that it did not appear that the armored truck employees and the men knew each other.

Accident, Maryland

From the Cumberland Times-News of December 5, 2006

Fatal domestic incident act of self-defense

Police said that the fatal shooting of an Indiana County, Pa., man early Sunday in Accident apparently was the result of self-defense.

Lt. J.D. Murphy of the Garrett Bureau of Investigation said that 29-year-old David Wayne Lancaster of Saltsburg died at Garrett Memorial Hospital in Oakland after he was shot three times with a .22-caliber handgun fired by Norris Rush, 52.

The shooting occurred at 4:31 a.m. in the kitchen of the Rush residence on Friendsville Road after Lancaster grabbed a butcher knife and inflicted a deep wound to Rush’s hand. Rush then discharged the handgun at close range, striking the victim in the stomach and chest.

Rush reportedly declined medical treatment at the scene.

Police said Billie Jo Zimmerman was also present at the time of the shooting and that all three people appeared to be “extremely intoxicated.” Lancaster, Rush and Zimmerman were said to be friends.

Zimmerman was not injured.

Police said there was no record of prior domestic complaints at the Rush residence.

Maryland State Police responded to the scene and following preliminary investigation, the case was forwarded to GBI.

The incident remains under investigation.

From the Oakland Republican of December 14, 2006

Domestic Related Shooting Still Under Investigation By Police

The recent shooting death of David Wayne Lancaster, 29, Saltsburg, Pa., is still under investigation, and has not been ruled self-defense as previously reported.

Police responded to a residence on Accident Friendsville Road Dec. 3 for a domestic-related shooting. Further investigation revealed that Lancaster had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body. He was transported by Northern Rescue Squad to Garrett County Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:31 a.m. His body was transported to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Baltimore for an autopsy.

According to police, witnesses have been interviewed, and the investigation is continuing.

"I am satisfied this investigation is being handled by trained, experienced police officers," said Lisa Thayer Welch, state's attorney for Garrett County. "When all evidence has been collected and reviewed, appropriate action will be taken. The analysis of forensic evidence can take weeks so it is premature for any conclusions to be made."

From Baltimore’s WJZ.com of October 12, 2007

Man Charged With Murder In Garrett Shooting

Authorities in Garrett County have made an arrest in a fatal shooting they initially considered to be a case of self-defense.

The sheriff's office says 51-year-old Norris Rush of Accident is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting at his home last December that killed 29-year-old David Lancaster.

Rush was arrested Thursday after State's Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch reviewed evidence and filed criminal charges. Bond was set at $50,000.

Police reports soon after the shooting said Rush shot Lancaster with a handgun after Lancaster stabbed Rush's hand with a butcher knife.

Crofton, Maryland

From the November 7, 2006 Washington Post:

One man was killed and another was critically wounded Sunday during a "gun battle" at a Crofton home, Anne Arundel County police said.

Responding after noon to a report of a shooting at 1709 Leisure Way, police found one man dead. He has not been identified. A resident of the house, Christopher Michael Haramis, 25, had been shot multiple times, police said. He was in critical condition yesterday at Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Police said the shooting may have been tied to an earlier confrontation during a party at the house.

About 2 a.m., police said, a man and a woman who had stepped outside the house were confronted by two men looking for cash.

"The persons inside the residence came out and basically interrupted the robbery and subsequently fought with the robbers," said Lt. David Waltemeyer, a police spokesman. "The robbers then ran away, making away with money, and no one was injured."

Those robbers may have been the two men who came to the house midday Sunday, Waltemeyer said. Haramis, who was inside the house with three others, was armed and shot the intruder, who died at the house, police said.

It is unclear who shot Haramis, police said, adding that the other intruder fled.