Man Guilty Of First-Degree Murder In Columbia Shooting

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A Howard County jury found 31-year-old Jerome Tyrell Thomas guilty of first-degree murder Monday for his role in the fatal shooting of a Baltimore man.

According to the Howard County State's Attorney's Office, police were called to Governor Warfield Parkway and Twin Rivers Road around 12:15 a.m. on May 1 after someone reported a fight between several people. The caller also reported hearing gunshots, prosecutors said.

When officers arrived, they found 24-year-old Anthony Tayvon McNeill in a nearby parking lot suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. McNeill was taken to the hospital, where he later died, authorities said.

According to prosecutors, police said the shooting originated from an earlier argument between Thomas and McNeill, who knew each other. Thomas was identified as a suspect following a review of surveillance footage, prosecutors said.

According to police, Thomas fled to South Carolina but was captured at an Annapolis motel on May 15.

"The loss of Anthony McNeill's life was tragic and unnecessary," Howard County State's Attorney Rich Gibson said in a statement. "The defendant, Jerome Thomas, had a prior criminal record and did not learn from his past mistakes. Instead, he chose to commit one of the worst crimes a person can commit upon another by violently taking the life of McNeill."

Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole, Gibson said.