St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Kareem Tyree Harris, 22, of Lexington Park, on October 29, 2025, linking him to a May shooting that left three men wounded in a vehicle near Great Mills. The arrest warrant charged Harris with multiple counts of attempted murder and assault, along with firearm-related offenses, as investigators continue to probe the early-morning gunfire exchange that stemmed from a prior dispute.
Deputies served the warrant on Harris that Wednesday, taking him into custody without further incident. He was booked into the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown, where he awaits a bond hearing in district court. The charges against Harris mirror those filed against prior suspects in the case: four counts each of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault; one count of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime; and four counts related to handgun possession, including loaded handguns on his person and in a vehicle.
The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. on May 3, 2025, when patrol deputies in the Chancellors Run Road and Pegg Road area of Great Mills heard multiple shots. They arrived moments later to find a stopped vehicle carrying four adult males. Bullets had struck the car, injuring three occupants: two men, whose names remain withheld for privacy, were airlifted to a regional trauma center and stabilized; the third declined on-scene treatment for non-life-threatening wounds. The fourth man escaped injury. The shooter or shooters had fled by the time deputies secured the scene, leaving shell casings and vehicle damage as initial evidence.
Investigators from the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division quickly determined the attack arose from an altercation the evening before at a local gathering spot, though specifics about the dispute or participants have not been released to protect the ongoing probe.
This arrest marks the fifth in the case, building on a methodical investigation that relied on witness statements, surveillance reviews and forensic analysis. The first breakthroughs came on May 6, 2025, when detectives charged brothers Cameron David Louis Curtis, 22, of Valley Lee, and Peyton James Robert Curtis, 20, of Callaway. Cameron faced seven counts, including the four attempted murder varieties, four assault counts, firearm use in a felony and two handgun violations; Peyton’s indictment added two counts of loaded handgun on person, totaling 11 charges. Both were held without bond initially after hearings.
By August 1, 2025, a third warrant led to the arrest of Jayshawn Maurice Bartlett, 21, also of Lexington Park. He drew 25 counts, expanding on the core attempted murder and assault charges with four for recklessly endangering others by firing from a moving vehicle — a Maryland statute under Criminal Law Article 4-203 that carries up to three years per count. Bartlett’s capture followed tips that placed him at the scene, underscoring the value of public input in multi-suspect probes.
The fourth suspect, Dequan Marquis Spicer, 24, of Great Mills, was apprehended on August 18, 2025, after detectives pieced together cell data and associate interviews. His charges aligned closely with the others, focusing on participation in the drive-by-style barrage that targeted the vehicle. All four prior suspects remain in custody at the Leonardtown facility, with court dates pending in St. Mary’s Circuit Court for trial.
In Maryland, attempted first-degree murder requires proof of premeditation or intent during a felony, punishable by up to life in prison; second-degree attempts carry 5 to 20 years. Assault charges differentiate by use of a deadly weapon, with first-degree involving serious injury risks. Firearm enhancements add mandatory minimums of five years under state code, reflecting legislative pushes since 2013’s Firearm Safety Act to deter gun crimes. Bond reviews, typically within 48 hours, weigh flight risk and community safety, often denying release in violent felonies like these.
While victim identities stay protected under Maryland’s public information act exemptions for active cases, all three injured men recovered without fatalities, a detail that shifted charges from homicide to attempts.
Authorities stress the case stays open, urging tips on unresolved angles like the initial altercation or weapon sources. Contact Sergeant Moritz at 301-475-4200, extension 8093, or Keith.Moritz@stmaryscountymd.gov. Anonymous submissions go to Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333 or text “Tip239” to 274637, with rewards up to $1,000 for arrests.
As trials approach, the focus turns to accountability. Maryland’s witness protection program, administered through the Attorney General’s office, safeguards cooperators, while circuit judges apply evidence rules from the 2021 Justice Reinvestment Act to ensure fair proceedings. For locals navigating similar tensions, resources like the county’s crisis hotline at 301-475-4659 offer mediation steps, emphasizing early intervention over confrontation.
