Shootings at NSA, Movie Theater End With Guilty Plea

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A former Maryland correctional officer who says he heard voices before a series of shots-fired incidents around the Baltimore-Washington region, including the National Security Agency, pleaded guilty to attempted murder on Tuesday.

Hong Young, 36, of Beltsville, was arrested March 3, 2015, outside Arundel Mills mall. He was linked to gunshots fired at five locations last year: on the Intercounty Connector, near the Arundel Mills PetSmart, by the NSA, outside the AMC Columbia theater and outside the Laurel Walmart.

Young pleaded guilty in an Anne Arundel County court to first-degree attempted murder, use of a firearm, and reckless endangerment, the state’s attorney said. The defendant has been declared not criminally responsible and has been committed to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for treatment.

When Young was arrested, officers saw a bullet casing and handgun in his Lincoln Town Car, which matched the description of the suspect vehicle involved in a Feb. 24, 2015, shots fired call off Arundel Mills Boulevard, according to police.

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Young told police he had been at the Maryland Live! casino before the traffic stop, charging documents show.

SEE ALSO:

• Suspected Gunman Possibly Linked to Maryland Live! Incident: Police
• Police Identify Suspect in NSA, 4 Other Shots Fired Incidents
• Shots Fired by Arundel Mills PetSmart

According to charging documents, Young admitted to his involvement in all five shootings and said he “was hearing voices, which made him shoot...” at a driver on Feb. 24 near the PetSmart by Arundel Mills. One person suffered minor injuries either from a bullet or broken glass in that incident.

State’s Attorney Wes Adams told the judge Young is a flight risk because police found a backpack at his home with a passport, toilet paper and energy bars, WTOP reported when he was held without bail.

Young’s wife, Bunnary Ngo, told an Associated Press reporter that Young would frequently talk to himself and would stay away for days at a time.

“He acted like he was crazy,” Ngo told the AP last year. “He was talking to himself and sometimes he would stay outside the house for days.”

Ngo says she has filed for divorce and moved to California.

»PHOTO: Shooting suspect Hong Young, courtesy of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.