Nicholas Franklin Njuki, a 33-year-old Kenyan man who lived in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was fatally shot during the early morning hours of September 13, 2026, following a confrontation that began inside Quincy's Potomac Bar & Grille in Rockville. Shortly after 2 a.m., Rockville City Police and Montgomery County officers were dispatched to the area of the restaurant in the 1000 block of Seven Locks Road. Njuki was found suffering from a gunshot wound, and despite lifesaving efforts by police and fire-rescue personnel, he was pronounced dead.
Investigators determined that Njuki had been involved in a physical confrontation inside the bar with Shayan Solimani Damabi and another person. Court records indicated that security intervened and separated the parties, escorting Solimani Damabi and his companion through the front entrance while Njuki and a friend left through the rear. The men subsequently departed in separate vehicles, but their paths crossed again near Fortune Terrace and Northside Park Boulevard, close to the shopping center.
According to prosecutors, Solimani Damabi was driving a red Acura TLX when the vehicles stopped near the intersection. Njuki got out and approached the driver's side of the Acura. Authorities allege that Solimani Damabi then opened fire. During a later bond hearing, prosecutors said one of the bullets struck Njuki in the groin and severed his femoral artery. Prosecutors also stated that Njuki was unarmed. Njuki's friend attempted to escape in the vehicle and was also fired upon. Investigators reportedly recovered 21 cartridge casings from the area, while two projectiles were found embedded in a nearby apartment building.
Njuki's companion told investigators that additional shots were fired as he drove away, and the passenger side of the vehicle was struck. Surveillance video captured the shooting, according to court records, and detectives used video and other evidence gathered during the investigation to identify Solimani Damabi as the alleged gunman. Police obtained an arrest warrant on September 15 charging him with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime.
The search for Solimani Damabi continued for several days. Investigators said an automated license-plate reader detected his vehicle approximately 266 miles away in West Virginia several hours after the killing. He later returned to the Gaithersburg area and checked into a motel. On September 17, Montgomery County police officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested him as he left the motel. Police said he was taken into custody without incident.
At a September 18 bond hearing, prosecutors argued that the circumstances of the shooting demonstrated that Solimani Damabi remained a danger to the community. His defense attorney offered a different account of the events leading to the gunfire, contending that Solimani Damabi had been attacked inside the restaurant by a larger group and that chairs and other objects were used during the fight. The defense characterized the shooting as an act of self-defense and argued that Solimani Damabi had been attempting to get away. Prosecutors maintained that he had opportunities to leave the confrontation rather than fire the weapon. These assertions remain competing allegations and defenses that have not been resolved at trial.
Authorities had not recovered the firearm by the time of the bond hearing. Prosecutors said ballistic evidence connected the weapon used in Njuki's killing to two shootings in Baltimore in 2024, although that connection did not establish that Solimani Damabi was involved in those earlier incidents. Investigators also believed an attachment may have been used to enable the handgun to fire automatically. His attorney said Solimani Damabi possessed a handgun qualification license, while prosecutors said no firearms were legally registered to him.
Montgomery County District Judge Sherri Koch ordered Solimani Damabi held without bond while the criminal case proceeds, citing in part the number of shots allegedly fired during the encounter. His next court appearance was scheduled for October 16, 2026. As of the latest available reporting, he remained charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime; no trial or conviction had occurred.
Away from the circumstances of his death, Njuki was widely remembered through his involvement in soccer. He had played collegiate soccer at James Madison University after an accomplished youth and high-school career in Montgomery County, and friends and family remembered him as "Coach Nick," a mentor who worked with young players and remained deeply connected to the sport. His killing left family members, friends, players and others in the local soccer community mourning a life that had been closely tied to coaching, competition and mentorship.
