In the early morning hours of September 14, 2024, a dispute over the cost of new tires at a Capitol Heights, Maryland, tire shop escalated into a fatal act of violence, claiming the life of 41-year-old Anthony Okoye. A Black male, Okoye was a dedicated employee at the Ameritech Tire shop located in the 1200 block of Marblewood Avenue. He was a husband and father who had immigrated to the United States from Nigeria about a year prior to his death and was described as a caring and respectful
man.
On that Saturday morning, at approximately 6:30 a.m., two customers, later identified as Ronnell Hardy, 43, and Avery Eccles, 42, engaged in a heated argument with Okoye regarding the payment for tires. The verbal altercation tragically turned deadly when Okoye was shot. Police responded to a welfare check call and discovered Okoye suffering from gunshot wounds. He was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later. The two suspects fled the scene in a dark-colored Mercedes sedan.
Following an investigation, which was aided by a tip from the public after police released surveillance footage, authorities from the Prince George's County Police Department arrested Hardy, of Capitol Heights, and Eccles, of Upper Marlboro, in October 2024. Both men were charged with first and second-degree murder in connection with the death of Anthony Okoye, bringing a measure of resolution to a case that began with a senseless argument over a transaction.
