Man Charged With Fatal Germantown Shooting

GERMANTOWN, MD — Police arrested a 23-year-old Clarksburg man for the homicide of a 19-year-old man that occurred on April 29 in Germantown.

Eric Anthony Lee was charged with home invasion and first-degree murder of Amaru Amir Santos Johnson. Police arrested Lee on May 4 at a residence in Westminster, Maryland.

On Saturday, April 29 at approximately 12:55 a.m., the Emergency Communications Center received multiple calls for a shooting that had just occurred at a residence in the 12800 block of Kitchen House Way in Germantown, police said. Officers from the 5th District along with Fire and Rescue personnel responded to the home and located two adult male victims and two adult female victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

The investigation by detectives determined that shortly after midnight on April 29, Lee and a second suspect robbed two victims at gunpoint in the parking lot of the 12800 block of Kitchen House Way. The robbery victims fled to the home where the shooting ultimately occurred, police said.

A short time after the robbery occurred, Johnson and two other shooting victims were standing outside of the home on Kitchen House Way when Lee and a second suspect arrived at the house. Johnson and the two other subsequent shooting victims had been called to the home in reference to the earlier robbery. Upon approaching the front door to the home, one suspect immediately shot one of the victims in the leg, police said. Johnson and a third victim attempted to flee inside of the residence where they were also shot. A fourth victim was also shot inside of the home.

Johnson was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, police said. The three remaining victims were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore ruled Johnson’s manner of death as a homicide by gunshot wound.

After the shooting, Lee and the second suspect fled from the home. Lee was known by several of the victims of the armed robbery and home invasion that resulted in the homicide of Johnson and positively identified him as one of the suspects involved in these crimes. Therefore, detectives do not believe that this event was random. Lee is currently being held without bond.

This homicide investigation is continuing and detectives urge anyone who may have information to contact the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070. For those who wish to remain anonymous, Crime Solvers of Montgomery County is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the suspect(s). Tipsters can call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Photo: Montgomery County Police Department