Hagerstown Police have charged a 17-year-old Hagerstown male, as an adult, with attempted first-degree murder after a Wednesday afternoon shooting in downtown Hagerstown.
The victim, Deangelo Rouzer, 41, of Hagerstown, had numerous gunshot wounds and was taken to Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown, according to an update Hagerstown Police provided late Thursday morning. Police have previously said Rouzer had multiple gunshot wounds to a leg.
Rouzer is expected to survive, the release states.
Lt. Rebecca Fetchu, spokesperson for Hagerstown Police, in an email wrote that "the suspect was taken into custody within minutes of the shooting. Our responding patrol officers did great work and we are proud of the efforts as they apprehended a dangerous shooting suspect. We are thankful that no other civilians or police officers were injured."
Because the suspect was apprehended so quickly, Hagerstown Police did not ask for assistance from the Washington County Sheriff's Office or Maryland State Police, according to Fetchu.
Other charges that Micha Ricks, 17, of Hagerstown, faces in connection to Wednesday's shooting include attempted second-degree murder and numerous firearms-related offenses. Police initially, via a Facebook post, reported that the suspect was 16 years old.
Ricks had been being held early Thursday at the Washington County Detention Center.
However, Washington County District Court Judge Mark D. Thomas ordered Ricks transferred to a juvenile facility and also requested a study to determine if Ricks' case should be transferred to juvenile court.
Those orders came after Assistant Public Defender Andrew Smith requested them, citing a law about juveniles being transferred to juvenile detention facilities unless an exception is met such as the juvenile facility has no room available. In making the request during a Thursday afternoon bond hearing, Smith noted that Ricks is charged with attempted murder, not murder.
Ricks can continue his education at a juvenile facility. Ricks was a student at "Antietam High," Smith said.
Antietam Academy, as it was called for several years, is part of Washington County Public Schools and has served students at risk of dropping out. The school on West Oak Ridge Drive is now called the InnovatED Learning Center and houses various educational programs. For juniors and seniors, that includes the at-risk program and also a virtual/in-person education program with nontraditional hours, according to the school system's website.
What we know about the latest shooting in downtown Hagerstown
Hagerstown Police responded around 3:35 p.m. Wednesday to the 100 block of East Washington Street for the shooting.
That is the block between Locust and Mulberry streets and would put the shooting at least a block from Public Square. That is a largely residential block that also includes at least one church, one preschool and a convenience store.
Fetchu said the shooting occurred on a sidewalk outside the convenience store. Police do not believe the incident stemmed from the convenience store "in any way," Fetchu wrote.
The suspect was taken into custody in the 300 block of Liberty Street after a "foot pursuit," police said.
That block of Liberty Street is off of North Cannon Avenue. That is about four to five blocks from the shooting scene.
Hagerstown Police first posted on Facebook, about the shooting, around 4 p.m. Wednesday and posted a follow-up around 5:25 p.m. that the suspect was in custody.
This is at least the second daylight shooting to occur in less than six weeks in downtown Hagerstown. The other resulted in a death.
Like the July 18 shooting, Hagerstown Police said Wednesday's shooting was a targeted incident.
Police learned through the investigation of Wednesday's shooting that Ricks and Rouzer "are known to each other and the shooting was targeted," the release issued Thursday morning states.
The investigation of Wednesday's shooting was supported in part by the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network.
What to know: Big changes come to Dual Highway to improve traffic safety
July 18 shooting a block away near downtown Hagerstown was a fatal
Hagerstown Police continue to investigate a July 18 shooting in the 200 block of East Washington Street that resulted in one death and injured a second man.
Rusty Mark Edwards, 49, of Williamsport, died at Meritus Medical Center after being shot shortly before 1 p.m. on that Thursday.
Tiheen Justice Nathan Matthews, 20, who had been with Edwards in a car parked along the 200 block of East Washington Street, also was shot.
Brandon Lamont Hinton Jr., 24, was charged the next day with Edwards’ murder. Hagerstown Police also have said they have a murder warrant issued for a second suspect in the shooting.
As of Thursday morning, it did not appear that second suspect had been apprehended yet, according to an online inquiry of Maryland's online court docket system.
Washington County homicides: Five this year as of Aug. 8
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Teen suspect in downtown Hagerstown shooting to be transferred to juvenile facility
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