In a tragic turn of events on a Saturday afternoon in December 2021, 42-year-old Wendy Natalie Black, a female, was killed in her Columbia, Maryland apartment. The incident was part of a horrifying murder-suicide carried out by her ex-husband, 44-year-old Rajaee Shareef Black. The devastating chain of events began earlier that day in Baltimore.
Prior to arriving in Columbia, Rajaee Black had shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, 41-year-old Tara Labang, in her Federal Hill home.
Following this act, he took to social media, posting a video in which he confessed to the murder and stated his intention to kill his ex-wife before taking his own life. In the video, he expressed that he did not want to go to prison. By the time Baltimore police were alerted to the social media post and contacted Howard County authorities, it was too late.
Howard County police were called to Wendy Black's apartment complex on the 7300 block of Eden Brook Drive shortly after 2 p.m. for reports of gunshots. They discovered both Wendy and Rajaee Black deceased inside the building from gunshot wounds. Investigators determined that Rajaee had sought out Wendy, shot and killed her, and then turned the gun on himself. The former couple's two young children were found physically unharmed in their father's car in the parking lot. Thankfully, they did not witness the tragic events.
Court records revealed a history of domestic turmoil, with Wendy Black having previously filed for multiple protective orders against her ex-husband, expressing that she was terrified for her life and that he had threatened to kill her with a gun. In her filings, she detailed past instances of being pushed, shoved, threatened, and bitten. Despite her pleas and stated fears for her safety, the protective orders had been denied. Wendy Black, Rajaee Black, and Tara Labang were all reportedly nurse anesthetists working in the Baltimore area.
