On the night of November 15, 2011, Andre Morton, a 51-year-old male, was found fatally shot in the street in Bladensburg, Maryland. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. in the 700 block of Maury Avenue. Morton, who resided in the District, had been visiting his mother at her home on that street, a frequent and routine occurrence for him.
Earlier in the evening, Morton had been dealing with car trouble; his van had broken down, and his brother had towed it away.
According to his mother, he was frustrated by the situation and had stepped outside. Shortly after, a neighbor alerted his mother that he had been shot. When police arrived, they discovered Morton in the street with fatal wounds.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Prince George's County detectives had not identified any suspects and had not determined a motive for the killing. Morton's family, however, suspected that he had been the victim of a robbery. They described the neighborhood as an area that was often targeted by troubled youths and noted that his mother had previously warned him to be cautious.
Neighbors reported hearing the gunshots but did not see anyone fleeing the scene. The day after the incident, a gun was discovered in a nearby yard, though it was not immediately clear if it was connected to Morton's death. At the time of his death, Andre Morton was living with his father, whom he helped care for, his girlfriend, and their newborn son. There have been no subsequent public announcements regarding any arrests or the identification of any suspects in the years following the incident.
