MoCo Police Arrest Gaithersburg Man Wanted For Deadly Rockville Shooting

ROCKVILLE, MD — A Gaithersburg man wanted over a fatal weekend shooting was arrested Thursday without incident, police said.

Montgomery County Police said 21-year-old Shayan Solimani Damabi was arrested by officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.

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Solimani Damabi was taken into custody moments after leaving a Gaithersburg motel.

Authorities said the Gaithersburg man remains held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit while awaiting a bond hearing.

Court records have not yet shown a possible hearing date for Solimani Damabi.

An arrest warrant issued Tuesday for the 21-year-old states he is facing charges of first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in a violent crime.

Related:

• MoCo Man Charged Over Deadly Sports Bar Shooting: Police
• MoCo Police Reveal Events That Happened Before Deadly Bar Shooting

Police publicly announced Solimani Damabi was wanted for the fatal shooting case on Wednesday, after identifying him through surveillance footage.

Breaking Down The Case

The case dates back to Sunday, when 33-year-old Nicholas Njuki, also of Gaithersburg, was fatally shot in the parking lot area of a Quincy's Potomac Bar & Grille off the 1000 block of Seven Locks Road.

Investigators said Solimani Damabi and Njuki were engaged in a confrontation inside the sports bar before Njuki and a companion left the establishment and began to drive away from the scene.

However, moments later, the pair encountered Solimani Damabi near the intersection of Fortune Terrace and Northside Park Boulevard.

Njuki was shot after he stepped out of the vehicle and made his way toward Solimani Damabi, according to police. Additional shots were fired toward Njuki's friend, who drove away and called police to the scene.

Until late Thursday, Solimani Damabi's whereabouts had been unknown.

Njuki's family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses. He is being remembered as an avid sports fan who played soccer for Quince Orchard High School and James Madison University before later coaching young athletes in the region.