Two Held In Downtown Shooting Incident

Two Held In Downtown Shooting Incident
Jameel McLeod, 28, and Antonio Epps, 27, are pictured.

OCEAN CITY — Two Washington, D.C. area residents are being held without bond this week following a shooting incident in downtown Ocean City early Sunday morning.

Around 2:50 a.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a downtown hotel for a reported shooting incident. Upon the officers’ arrival, witnesses advised both the suspects and the victim had left the scene, according to police reports. The victim, a 21-year-old male from Reisterstown, Md., was located a short time later at the Ocean City Fire Department headquarters at 15th Street. Ocean City EMS treated the victim for two gunshot wounds and transported him to TidalHealth Peninsula Regional Hospital. The victim is expected to make a full recovery.

The investigation revealed the suspects’ vehicle was parked in the hotel parking lot. The victim, believing the vehicle was unoccupied, walked on top of the vehicle and fell through the sunroof. The occupants of the vehicle got out and confronted the victim. During the confrontation, one of the vehicle’s occupants, later identified as Antonio Epps, 27, of District Heights, Md., shot the victim two times. The suspects then fled the scene.

OCPD officers broadcasted a description of the vehicle and the suspects to allied law enforcement agencies in the area. Berlin Police Department officers located the suspect’s vehicle at a convenience store on Route 50 near Stephen Decatur High School. The Berlin Police Department, with assistance from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police, initiated a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle. During the stop, a loaded semi-automatic handgun, along with a loaded, large-capacity drum-style magazine was recovered.

Epps was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and numerous weapons charges. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held without bond.

A second suspect, Jameal McLeod, 28, of Capital Heights, Md., was charged with three counts of accessory after the statute and carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle. He was also taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held without bond.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.