In the quiet neighborhood of Wildmeadows Street in Waldorf, Maryland, the life of 17-year-old Elisha Amon Cole was tragically cut short on the evening of October 3, 2018. A senior at Thomas Stone High School, the young male was known for his love of football, basketball, and dirt bikes. He was standing outside a residence when he was caught in the crossfire of a shooting and sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
The events of that evening unfolded around 7:55 p.m.
when officers from the Charles County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of shots fired in the 11200 block of Wildmeadows Street. Upon arrival, they discovered Elisha Amon Cole in a driveway, deceased from his injuries. The investigation that followed revealed a confrontation between two groups of people who had a prior altercation.
During the incident, a man named Andre Raynard Hilliard Johnson, 24 years old at the time, approached a group gathered in front of a house, pulled out a handgun, and fired several shots. In response, at least one unidentified individual from the group in front of the residence fired back. It was during this exchange of gunfire that Elisha Amon Cole was struck and killed.
On October 19, 2018, authorities arrested Andre Raynard Hilliard Johnson of La Plata in connection with the shooting. He was subsequently charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree assault for his role in the incident. The investigation into the identity of the other individual who fired a weapon and tragically took Elisha's life has remained ongoing. There have been no public announcements regarding any other arrests or charges in direct connection to the death of Elisha Amon Cole. In an unrelated matter in 2022, Johnson was found guilty of firearm charges stemming from a separate incident.
