Two Held In Downtown Shooting Incident

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 15^th 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.

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