A 15-year-old Silver Spring teen was arrested Monday and charged as an adult in connection with a May 26 double homicide at a park in downtown Silver Spring, according to authorities.
In a statement Monday afternoon, Montgomery County police said the teen was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia. According to police, the teen had left the country after the shooting and was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when he arrived back in the U.S. Police did not say where the teen was traveling from.
MoCo360 generally does not name juveniles who are charged with crimes.
The teen was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of D’Andre Wint, 20, of Lanham and Quincy Johnson, 20, of Takoma Park at Nolte Local Park at 200 Denver Road, police said Monday. He is awaiting extradition to Montgomery County.
Detectives identified the teen as a key suspect during an investigation and requested a warrant for his arrest Monday, according to the statement.
The shooting was reported at approximately 6:57 p.m. at the park, police said in a statement in May. Surrounded by a neighborhood of single-family homes and apartment buildings, the park is the site of frequent sporting events, including soccer and softball games.
Upon arrival, police located Wint and Johnson each suffering from gunshot wounds and performed lifesaving efforts, but the men were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Following the shooting, community members and loved ones left flower bouquets at the park’s basketball court to honor the two young men.
The men’s families launched fundraisers to raise money for funeral expenses.
As of Aug. 26, a GoFundMe campaign launched by Heidi Martin, Johnson’s mother, had collected more than $30,000, more than triple its goal of $10,000.
“I am wordless, trying to find a way to share that my son Quincy has passed,” Martin wrote. “He is a brilliant light, he had a confused mind. His family and friends poured [their] love into him while he was here.”
A GoFundMe fundraiser for Wint’s family had raised more than $31,000 of its $30,000 goal.
“A beautiful soul that has filled all of our lives with love and joy is now gone,” the campaign page says. “To truly know Dre was to know light and love. He had the most infectious smile and laugh and lit up our hearts with his presence. He had a heart of gold and so much more life to live. Our family is in shreds, heartbroken, and trying to comprehend how we will continue life without him.”