In the spring of 2021, the life of Da’Jour Sorrell, a 22-year-old Black/African American male, was violently cut short on the streets of Cambridge, Maryland. On the evening of April 5th, Sorrell was riding his bicycle near the intersection of Greenwood Avenue and Gloria Richardson Circle. The routine moments of his ride were shattered by the sound of gunfire. As shots rang out in his direction, he fell from his bicycle and attempted to flee onto Gloria Richardson Circle.
However, his assailants pursued him, firing additional rounds that resulted in his fatal injuries. When officers from the Cambridge Police Department arrived at the scene shortly before 10 p.m., they discovered Sorrell lying on the ground with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Dorchester General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy would later confirm that his death was a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the shooting was swiftly taken over by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit. What unfolded was a narrative not of a random act of violence, but of a targeted attack that found the wrong victim. Investigators learned that a group of five men—Justin Boyce, Elijah Jordan, Troy Rose Jr., Keiford Copper, and Da’yon Lofland—had allegedly armed themselves with handguns and set out that day with the intention of killing another man. Their path, however, fatefully crossed with Da'Jour Sorrell's, and he became the victim of their deadly mission. Within weeks of the shooting, a collaborative effort between multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Cambridge Police Department and the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office, led to the apprehension of the suspects.
Four men were initially arrested and faced a battery of charges, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, assault, and various firearm offenses. The suspects were identified as 21-year-old Da’Yon Lofland of Hurlock, 19-year-old Troy Rose Jr. of Federalsburg, 21-year-old Elijah Jordan of Cambridge, and 21-year-old Justin Boyce of Hackensack, New Jersey. They were arrested without incident at different locations and held without bond. The wheels of justice began to turn, leading to convictions for some of those involved. In May 2023, a jury found Troy Rose Jr. guilty of second-degree murder and possession of a handgun. He was later sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder, with a concurrent three-year sentence for the handgun offense. Da'yon Lofland was also convicted for his role in Sorrell's murder, closing another chapter in the tragic and senseless killing.
