LEONARDTOWN, Md. — A St. Mary’s County jury convicted James Jerome Adams Jr., 20, of Great Mills, Maryland, on May 5, 2025, for first-degree murder and use of a firearm in a violent crime. The verdict stems from a fatal shooting on April 4, 2023, at a Sheetz convenience store in Great Mills, where a 26-year-old man was killed.
On the evening of April 4, 2023, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of gunfire in the parking lot of the Sheetz on Old Great Mills Road. Surveillance footage and a detailed investigation revealed that Adams, along with several others, executed a coordinated attack on the victim, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died from his injuries. The investigation, led by Detective Sergeant Austin Schultz, utilized video evidence and witness accounts to identify Adams as a key participant in the shooting.
State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling addressed the conviction, stating, “The Defendant’s actions stole a young man’s life and endangered many others in a brazen act of gun violence carried out at a busy gas station. This conviction delivers accountability, though no verdict can bring back the life that was tragically taken that day. We will continue to stand with the victim’s family and do everything in our power by continuing to prosecute cases involving senseless gun violence to the fullest extent of the law.”
The trial, presided over by Judge Joseph Stanalonis, saw Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Alena Mosier and Assistant State’s Attorney Shaye Reynolds prosecute the case. Following the guilty verdict, Adams was ordered held without bond pending sentencing. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment plus 20 years for the charges.
Prior to the conviction, Adams had been indicted on November 20, 2023, alongside two others for their roles in the murder. At the time of the indictments, all three individuals were already incarcerated on unrelated charges. Adams and another suspect, a juvenile from Great Mills charged as an adult, were served with indictments on November 22, 2023, at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center. A third suspect, held in a facility outside St. Mary’s County, had a detainer lodged against them.
