In the early morning hours of August 16, 2020, a tragedy unfolded in a parking lot in Owings Mills, Maryland, that cut short the life of Gary Printice Melvin. The 30-year-old man was discovered after 5 a.m. in the 11000 block of Reisterstown Road, suffering from gunshot wounds to his chest. Emergency services transported him to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal.
Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence, believing that Melvin had been specifically targeted.
The investigation into Melvin's death led to the identification of two teenage suspects. In September of that year, police arrested Marvin Louis Washington III, who was 18 at the time. He faced a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, armed robbery, and various firearm offenses. The following month, a second suspect, 17-year-old Xavier Damon Byrd Jr., was also taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Melvin's death. Byrd was 16 years old when the fatal shooting occurred.
Following their arrests, both Washington and Byrd were held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center. The charges brought against the two teenagers pointed to a violent confrontation that ended in the death of Gary Printice Melvin. Washington was indicted on charges that included first-degree murder, first-degree assault, armed robbery, robbery, theft, and multiple firearm-related counts. Byrd also faced charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, use of a firearm in a felony, and first-degree assault.
