PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (November 26, 2007)—A fifteen-year-old Lusby boy has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault in the first-degree, and reckless endangerment after he allegedly shot another teen with a .22 caliber rifle in a dispute over a bicycle tire. Trevon Charles Brooks was first charged as a juvenile. However, today, the juvenile charges were dismissed and he was subsequently arrested as an adult and charged with the same offenses.
The victim, a fifteen-year-old male, was suffering from a bullet wound on the rear of his left thigh.
The incident occurred Wednesday, November 21, in the area of White Sands Drive in Lusby.
At 7:53 p.m., Deputy Michael Mudd, of the Calvert County Sheriff's Office, responded to the victim's home after receiving a report of a shooting. The victim was suffering from a small bullet wound on the rear of his left thigh. The victim's mother reported that her son ran into the house and said that he had been shot. The victim indicated that he knew the shooter.
Dep. Mudd spoke with the younger brother of the victim who advised that he was involved in a verbal altercation with Brooks, with whom he had been riding bikes, over a bicycle tire that the victim's brother had flattened. The brother indicated that he had been teasing Brooks when Brooks became angry, produced a knife, and said that he would flatten the tires on the brother's bike.
Police say the younger brother, feeling threatened, then ran home and told his mother and older brother. His older brother, the victim, then went to Brooks' home in an attempt to settle the argument. He and Brooks then became involved in a verbal argument and a crowd of juveniles from the neighborhood gathered around them.
Police say that during the argument, Brooks went into his home and brought out a long gun. The victim started to run toward his home when he heard rapid gunshots. He continued running until he reached his home where he told his mother that Brooks had shot him.
Deputies responded to Brooks' home and seized a weapon, a Pump Master 790. 177 caliber BB gun. Brooks was arrested for second-degree assault, charged on a youth report, and released to his mother.
Dep. Mudd later went to Calvert Memorial Hospital to check on the status of the victim. Doctors informed Dep. Mudd that the bullet was not from a BB gun, but more likely from a rifle.
Dep. Mudd returned to Brooks' home where he recovered a black semi-automatic Savage Arms, Stevens model 62 .22 caliber long rifle.
Brooks was then charged as a juvenile with attempted 1st degree murder, assault in the 1st degree and reckless endangerment.
On November 26, all of the juvenile charges were dismissed and Brooks was subsequently arrested as an adult and charged with the same offenses.