In the early morning hours of December 17, 2016, the life of 26-year-old TaWanda Lafreshia Blake was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire. The incident unfolded in the parking lot of the American Legion on Perryhawkin Road in Princess Anne, Maryland, a place where a crowd had gathered. An altercation, marked by heated yelling, escalated into a physical scuffle. In the midst of this turmoil, a handgun was drawn and several shots were fired into the crowd.
TaWanda, a resident of Pocomoke City, was the only person struck by the gunfire. She was rushed to Peninsula Regional Medical Center but succumbed to a fatal gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival. Initial investigations by the Maryland State Police suggested that TaWanda may not have been the intended target of the shooter, a sentiment that added another layer of tragedy to her senseless death.
Later that same day, law enforcement officials apprehended a suspect, 26-year-old Jesse L. Copes of Princess Anne. Witnesses at the scene and surveillance footage reportedly identified Copes as the individual who had engaged in the earlier confrontation. Following his arrest, authorities executed a search warrant at his apartment, which led to the recovery of undisclosed evidence. However, the handgun used in the shooting was not found at that time.
Jesse L. Copes was subsequently charged with a litany of offenses, including first and second-degree murder, manslaughter, first and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and multiple firearms violations. He was held at the Somerset County Detention Center without bond. During questioning, Copes admitted to being in the American Legion parking lot and being held back by an individual before the shooting but did not implicate himself in TaWanda's death. Further details regarding the progression of the legal case, including a trial or conviction, have not been publicly reported.
