Man charged with murder in fatal shooting near Elkton

ELKTON – Investigators have filed murder charges against a man who allegedly shot a visitor at close range outside his residence near Elkton earlier this week during an incident that was caught on security camera video, according to Cecil County District Court records.

The suspect – Donald Raymond Snyder Jr., 41 – reportedly surrendered himself to the Maryland State Police late Thursday night at the agency’s North East Barrack, in accordance with arrangements that had been made amid the investigation.

Snyder is accused of gunning down Christopher Cimorose, 55, of Elkton, at approximately 9:20 p.m. on Monday in the driveway of Snyder’s residence in the unit block of Locust Point Road, south of Elkton.

MSP troopers and other first responders rushed to that Locust Point Road residence at 9:24 p.m. Monday, after Snyder called and told a 911 dispatcher, “Someone just got shot,” at that address, police reported.

“As the dispatcher was collecting the information on the call for service, she asked Snyder directly if he shot the gun. Snyder replied, ‘Yeah’,” according to the charging document.

At the scene, troopers spoke to Snyder and his 46-year-old girlfriend, Michelle McCarthy, before driving them to the North East Barrack, where MSP Homicide Unit investigators interviewed them, police said. Investigators secured Snyder’s weapon, which had been placed in the bed of a pickup truck on the premises before first responders arrived, police added.

Paramedics pronounced Cimorose dead at the scene, police reported.

During the on-scene investigation, MSP detectives confiscated external security cameras on Snyder’s property, after obtaining a warrant to do so, court records show.

Investigators note in court documents that “a few of the cameras” faced the driveway “where the intentional killing of Cimorose took place,” and that they produced a video showing the fatal shooting and the events leading up to it.

Investigators had sent the confiscated DVR security system to MSP’s Digital Forensic Lab on Wednesday, and technicians there extricated a 19-minute-long, motion-activated video clip of what occurred outside Snyder’s residence on Monday night, court records show.

The video first shows Snyder and McCarthy exit the Locust Point Road residence and then get into McCarthy’s vehicle in the driveway at approximately 9 p.m. Monday, with McCarthy sliding into the driver’s seat and Snyder getting into the seat directly behind her, police reported.

About two minutes later, the video shows Cimorose pulling into that driveway in a red Nissan Versa, according to court records, which indicate that Cimorose was there to pick up McCarthy. The document does not provide a reason why Cimorose was there to pick up McCarthy.

The video then shows McCarthy exit her vehicle and walk to the front passenger’s seat of Cimorose’s Nissan and Snyder walk directly to the open window of the Nissan’s driver’s side door, police reported.

“Snyder almost immediately punches Cimorose in the head/face area, as he was still in the vehicle. As a response to being punched, Cimorose’s vehicle lunged forward, dragging Snyder for a few feet,” according to the charging document.

Before the Nissan came to a stop, Snyder armed himself, based on the footage, police reported.

“Synder removes 9mm handgun from his waistband and points it at Cimorose. Cimorose places his vehicle in park, opens his door (and) attempts to get out of his vehicle - at which time Synder fired three (3) times, striking Cimorose in the neck and chest area. Cimorose is observed falling to the ground next to his vehicle. Lying next to him was wooden table leg,” court records allege.

During his police interview at the MSP barrack later that night, Snyder maintained that Cimorose was the aggressor, court records show.

“Snyder stated ‘As far as I can see, the man grabbed a pipe and came at me.’ Snyder also stated, ‘I never wanted to do this’,” according to the charging document.

MSP investigators consulted with the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office before filing criminal charges against Snyder on Thursday, court records indicate.

Snyder is charged with second-degree murder, a felony that is punishable by up to 40 years in prison if convicted, and five other offenses, including first-degree assault, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony or a crime of violence and reckless endangerment, court records show.

He remained in the Cecil County Detention Center on no bond Friday, after his bail review hearing earlier that day, according to court records, which show that Cecil County District Court Administrative Judge Bonnie G. Schneider presided over that proceeding.