In a tragic turn of events that shook the community of Columbia, Maryland, 15-year-old Blake McCray, an African American male, lost his life following a shooting that occurred on the evening of February 22, 2025. The incident took place in a parking lot and bus loop area outside The Mall in Columbia. Another teenager, 16-year-old Michael Robertson, was also a victim of the shooting and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Blake, a 9th-grade student at Oakland Mills High School, was critically injured and transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. He succumbed to his injuries late on a Thursday evening, several days after the shooting.
The news of Blake's passing was shared with the school community by the Oakland Mills High School Principal, who expressed deep sadness and acknowledged that many had been hopeful for his recovery. Blake was remembered by his kindergarten teacher as a joyful child who brought happiness to the classroom with his smile and hugs.
Shortly after the shooting, Howard County Police arrested 18-year-old Emmetson Zeah in connection with the incident. Zeah was initially charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, with the charges expected to be amended following Blake's death. Investigators believe that the victims were targeted, although a clear motive was not immediately released. The investigation revealed that at the time of the shooting, Zeah was on home detention for a prior offense and was wearing a GPS ankle monitor that tracked him to the location of the crime. He was also implicated in a separate, non-fatal shooting that had occurred just a week and a half earlier, a few blocks from the mall.
Following his arrest for the double shooting, Zeah was held without bail at the Howard County Detention Center. In a separate legal matter, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for a prior home invasion and assault case. The families of Blake McCray and Michael Robertson later filed a lawsuit against the company responsible for monitoring Zeah's home detention, alleging a failure to properly supervise him. The trial for the double shooting that resulted in the deaths of the two teenagers was scheduled to begin in January of the following year.
