Maryland State Police are asking Wildewood-area residents to check home security and dash-cam footage as investigators continue looking into an assault and shots-fired incident reported early Monday at the Wildewood Community Center in California.
Troopers from the Leonardtown Barrack responded to the community center, at 23060 Wildewood Drive, at approximately 1:30 a.m. Monday for a report of an assault and shots fired. Investigators from the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division responded to lead the investigation.
State police are asking anyone in the Wildewood community with a home security system to review footage from around the time of the incident, and are asking drivers who were in the area with a dash camera to do the same. Anyone with information or video related to the incident is asked to email Cpl. Kyle Morris at kyle.morris@maryland.gov or contact the Leonardtown Barrack duty officer at 301-475-8955, extension 0, referencing case number 26-MSP-024217.
Wildewood is a large residential community in California, in St. Mary’s County, built around a mix of single-family homes, townhomes and apartments along with the community center, walking trails and other shared amenities that serve as a gathering point for residents. The community center sits within an area otherwise known for its family-oriented programming and events, making an overnight assault and shooting there notable for a neighborhood not typically associated with violent crime calls.
The Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division, which is leading the investigation, generally handles more complex criminal cases across the barracks it supports, including incidents involving firearms, working alongside uniformed troopers who respond to initial calls for service. Investigators’ request for community security and dash-cam footage is a standard step in cases where officers did not witness the incident directly and are working to reconstruct events and identify those involved from indirect evidence.
The Leonardtown Barrack is the primary Maryland State Police station serving St. Mary’s County, covering unincorporated areas of the county alongside the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, which handles much of the county’s day-to-day patrol and investigative work. State police and county deputies routinely coordinate on cases involving firearms and violent crime, particularly incidents that occur late at night or involve suspects who flee before officers arrive, since establishing a timeline and identifying vehicles or individuals often depends on footage collected from nearby homes, businesses and passing traffic rather than direct officer observation.
State police have not released information about the number of people involved, the extent of any injuries, or a suspect description, and asked that anyone with relevant footage or information come forward as the investigation continues. Maryland State Police cases opened under the state’s public tip-reporting protocols are typically updated only as investigators confirm new information suitable for public release.
