Craig Harold Shotwell, a 54-year-old male contractor from Owings Mills, was tragically killed on Monday, May 7, 2018, in a shooting incident that claimed two other lives in a Brookeville, Maryland home. Shotwell was at the residence on Brown Farm Way performing work on a deck when the tragic events unfolded.
The gunman was identified as 41-year-old Christopher Snyder, a next-door neighbor to the home where the shooting occurred.
The situation began after Snyder's wife, whom he had allegedly been holding hostage for several days, managed to escape to the neighboring house. Snyder then followed his wife to the home, where he opened fire, killing Shotwell, the 66-year-old homeowner Mary Ann Olson, and a 70-year-old visitor, Danny Lee Murphy. Three other individuals, including Snyder's wife, were able to escape the residence unharmed.
Following the shooting, Snyder returned to his own home and barricaded himself inside for several hours. Montgomery County Police negotiators were in contact with him by phone. Around 11 p.m., as officers breached the front door, Snyder took his own life. Authorities later revealed that Snyder was a federally-licensed gun dealer and was known to the police, although the specifics of their prior contact were not elaborated upon.
Friends and family remembered Craig Shotwell as a devoted father to his two children, a hardworking and generous man who ran his own home improvement business. He was known for his willingness to help others and his love for his family. A GoFundMe page was established to support his children after his death.
