In the early hours of February 11, 2023, a confrontation between strangers turned deadly, claiming the life of 17-year-old Daiwo Flomo of Riverdale. The young man was discovered inside a car on the 7200 block of Parkwood Street in Landover Hills, suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite the efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a tragic sequence of events that began moments before the fatal shot was fired.
It is believed the shooting occurred at the intersection of Fairwood Road and Parkwood Street. Following the shooting, Flomo, who was driving, continued for a short distance before crashing his vehicle. The preliminary investigation suggests that the suspect followed Flomo's car to confront the occupants after they had approached the suspect's vehicle while he was sitting in it. During this pursuit, the suspect opened fire, striking and killing the teenager. Police have indicated that the victim and the suspect were not known to each other.
A suspect, 27-year-old Charles Edwards of Hyattsville, was later arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. According to charging documents, Edwards told police that a car had pulled up behind him while he was parked outside his home. He stated that a person got out of the car and approached his driver's side, but then appeared 'startled and scared' and ran back to their vehicle, which then drove away. Edwards admitted to following the car and pulling up alongside it to question the occupants. When they did not roll down their window, he fired a single shot at the vehicle before driving home.
Charles Edwards has been charged with first-degree murder and other related counts. He was taken into custody and is being held at the Department of Corrections without bond. The case is being handled by the Prince George's County Police Department's Homicide Unit, and online court records indicate he is being represented by the public defender's office.
