Montgomery County police have arrested two people for the fatal shooting of a man in a parking garage at the Wheaton Metro station Tuesday night.
Police say 20-year-old Eric Alexander Melgar, of Silver Spring, was shot multiple times just after 7 p.m. on the third level of the parking garage. He was transported to the hospital where he later died.
Douglas Shannon Chase, 19, of Northwest D.C. and Brent Deon Sanderson, 18, of Rockville, Md., have both been charged with first-degree murder. They are being held without bond.
Police say the shooting happened after a confrontation between the victim and the two suspects inside the garage.
The suspects fled on foot from the garage after the shooting, but officers later located them at a nearby intersection. A gun was recovered from the suspects, according to police.
This is the second homicide on Metro property this month. On July 4, 24-year-old Kevin Sutherland was stabbed to death on a Red Line train near the NoMa-Gallaudet Metro station. Police have charged 18-year-old Jasper Spires for his murder.
While Metro notes that these two homicides were random and unrelated, a Metro spokesperson said they understand riders fears for their safety.
"The safety and security of our customers is our absolute highest priority, and while we know that these two recent incidents were random and entirely unrelated, we appreciate the concern that some riders may feel," said Metro spokesperson Dan Stessel. "Our position is that one crime is one too many, and that's why you see us investing heavily in surveillance technology, increasing the size of the Metro Transit Police Department, and partnering with local law enforcement agencies to supplement our patrols in parking garages. We would also note that overall crime on Metro was at a five-year low last year.
"As always, we would encourage riders who notice anything suspicious to contact Metro Transit Police immediately at (202) 962-2121 or by sending a text message to "MyMTPD."