Police Charge Fourth Suspect in Shooting Death of Five-Year-Old in Dorchester County

What this means

A factual summary is pending editorial review. The complete official release is reproduced below with issuer attribution and a direct link to the original publication.

Official release

Source material from Maryland State Police. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

Police Charge Fourth Suspect in Shooting Death of Five-Year-Old in Dorchester County

News

|

September 22, 2026

(LINKWOOD, MD) – Maryland State Police have arrested and charged a fourth suspect, a Dorchester County juvenile, in connection with the shooting death of a five-year-old in Linkwood in August.

The accused is a 16-year-old man from Dorchester County. He

is charged with first-degree murder and other related criminal charges. He is

currently being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center.

Last month, investigators charged Anthony D. Harris, 26, of

Hurlock, Maryland, and Wendell A. Wongus III, 23, of Hurlock, Maryland, with

first-degree murder and other related charges. Lindsay Jo Ewing, 42, of

Cambridge, Maryland, was also charged with accessory after the fact to

first-degree murder and other related charges. Harris, Wongus and Ewing are all

held without bond.

Shortly before 2:30 a.m. on August 11, 2026, troopers from

the Maryland State Police Easton Barrack responded to a residence in the

3900-block of Ocean Gateway for a report of a shooting. Upon their arrival,

troopers located two victims with suspected gunshot wounds.

One of the victims was a five-year-old girl. She was

pronounced deceased on the scene by emergency medical services personnel. The

second victim was a 30-year-old man, identified as Ryan Adams. Adams was flown

by Maryland State Police Aviation Command to a local trauma center for

treatment.

Information gleaned during the investigation identified

Adams and a 15-year-old man as suspects in a non-fatal shooting that occurred

several hours earlier in Hurlock, Maryland. Investigators believe the shooting

in Hurlock and the shooting in Linkwood are related. Adams has since been

released from the hospital and is charged with attempted first-degree murder

and other related charges. The 15-year-old has been charged with attempted first-degree

murder and other related charges. Both are being held without bond at the

Dorchester County Detention Center.

The investigation is being led by the Maryland State Police

Homicide Unit with assistance provided by the Forensic Sciences Division, Special

Operations Division, the FBI, Hurlock Police Department, and other allied law

enforcement agencies.

Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit tip line at 202-953-1903. The Maryland State Police and the FBI are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for any additional information that may lead to an arrest in this investigation. Callers may remain anonymous.

The investigation remains active and ongoing.

Office of Media Communications

Email

[email protected]

Release text attributed to Maryland State Police. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.