2 Arrested In Death Of MTA Bus Driver: Baltimore Police

BALTIMORE, MD — Two people have been arrested in connection with the death of an MTA bus driver in Baltimore, the police commissioner said Friday. The driver was killed after an argument with a passenger, and his death sparked outcry from people including the governor of Maryland.

Cameron Kane Silcott, 24, and Nichelle Nicole Greene, 27, were charged with first- and second-degree murder, assault and weapons violations.

The arrests came within 24 hours of a crime Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison described as "shocking to the conscience."

Around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Silcott had gotten into a confrontation with the driver of an MTA bus, Harrison said. Gunfire ensued.

Marcus Parks, 51, a bus driver who had worked for the Maryland Transit Administration for 20 years, was pronounced deceased at the scene in the 1200 block of East Fayette Street.

Silcott had tried to get on a bus, but when Parks would not let him board, he took the driver's bag and ran, The Baltimore Sun reported. Parks chased him and was shot, a witness reportedly said.

A patrol officer in the Southeast District heard gunshots, saw the suspect and chased the suspected shooter, but officials said the suspect got away.

Silcott and Greene were taken into custody less than six blocks from the scene of the homicide, according to the police commissioner.

"As a result of great police work ... and tips from our community, I am extremely proud to announce that we have arrested two suspects," Harrison said at a news conference Friday morning.

Silcott and Greene were arrested in the Perkins Homes area in the 400 block of South Caroline Street, according to The Baltimore Sun, which reported both were wanted in connection with other incidents, including one involving another bus driver. In July, Silcott was asked to take his feet down from a pole on a bus in Anne Arundel County and was accused of threatening to kill the driver, the newspaper reported.

The governor of Maryland was among those who sent his condolences in the aftermath of the shooting in Baltimore.

"We are horrified by the senseless killing of [a] Maryland Transit Administration bus operator ... one of our frontline essential workers who was just doing his job," Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement after Thursday's shooting. "We pray for his family and those who loved him, and offer our full support to the Baltimore Police Department for the investigation."

The Baltimore Police Department worked with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Maryland Transit Administration on the investigation. Community members and technology also played critical roles, Baltimore's police commissioner said.

"We cleared this case with your help. We need your help with other cases," Harrison said, adding: "This is exactly how" the city will clear other murders.

Silcott, of the 700 block of Linnard Street, is charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, attempted first-degree murder, using a firearm in a felony, having a handgun on his person and having a loaded handgun on his person, court records show.

Both he and Greene are being held without bail in Baltimore.

Related: Bus Driver Killed Was 'Frontline Hero,' MTA Leader Says