MTA Bus Shooter Sentenced To Decades In Prison

BALTIMORE, MD — A Baltimore man has been sentenced to 70 years in prison for fatally shooting another passenger aboard an MTA bus following an argument in downtown Baltimore, prosecutors announced Friday.

James Richburg, 63, was previously convicted of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence and illegal possession of a firearm in the November 2024 killing of 32-year-old William Womack.

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According to prosecutors, the shooting occurred around 1 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2024, as an MTA bus stopped at the intersection of Eutaw and Redwood streets.

Authorities said Womack was getting off the bus when he dropped a Gatorade bottle near Richburg, prompting an argument. After Womack exited the bus, Richburg allegedly yelled, "I won't let you live," causing Womack to reboard and confront him.

Prosecutors said Richburg then repeated the threat, pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Womack once in the chest at close range.

Both men fled the bus after the shooting. Womack was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Investigators used surveillance video from the bus and records tied to Richburg's transit pass to identify him. Detectives reviewed MTA footage from previous days showing the same transit pass being used by a man matching Richburg's description.

Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates said the sentence ensures Richburg "will spend the rest of his life behind bars" for what he described as a senseless killing aboard a public bus.