On a summer evening in Cheltenham, Maryland, a family gathering turned into a scene of tragedy with the death of 12-year-old Glenn C. Ellis. The young girl, a resident of Germantown and a student at Earle B. Wood Middle School in Rockville, was attending a pool party and cookout at a relative's home on Farrar Avenue on Saturday, August 23, 2008.
During the festivities, Glenn, along with two boys, went to an upstairs room that contained a computer. It was in this room that they discovered a shotgun. As they were handling the firearm, it discharged, striking Glenn in the head. The incident occurred at approximately 9:45 p.m. Emergency services were called, and she was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died from her injuries within hours.
The investigation into the shooting was handled by the Prince George's County Police Department's Homicide Unit. Authorities quickly determined that the shooting was likely accidental. The person who fired the weapon was identified as a 14-year-old male relative of Glenn. Police questioned the two boys, who were visiting from Fort Bragg, N.C., and others who were present at the house.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement officials stated that while the investigation was ongoing, no charges had been filed. They did, however, indicate that they were exploring the possibility of bringing charges against the owner of the shotgun, as the weapon had been left loaded and unsecured in the home. A spokesperson for the Prince George's County State's Attorney's office later confirmed that they had not yet decided whether any charges would be filed in connection with the fatal shooting. Online sources available in the years following the incident do not provide information on whether any legal charges were ultimately brought against the 14-year-old relative or the owner of the firearm.
