Community mourns death of activist Cornelius McDonald as police continue investigation
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - A Prince George's County community continues to mourn the tragic death of a well-known activist who was killed over the weekend.
Prince George's County police say 33-year-old Cornelius McDonald was shot and killed outside a popular restaurant around 12:45 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot at the corner of Landover and Lottsford Roads.
Investigators think there may have been some kind of altercation inside the restaurant before the shooting. FOX 5 has learned that a suspect fled the scene. Police were on patrol and called in immediately when they heard the gunshots.
FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick said McDonald’s mother was woken up at 6:30 am by Prince George’s County detectives to tell her that her son was dead.
Known as "Neil" to his friends, McDonald was a man with a mission. He was the executive director of "Stay Solid" - a D.C. based organization helping young adults navigate mental and behavioral health challenges. His family is now vowing to carry on his legacy and his light.
"He was a dude that was of spirit. He didn’t have a bad bone about him. And bad times that he had to go through with his brother being murdered 5-years ago in July, in 2019. But Neil was one of those guys that would always try to pull everybody together. And if he saw something going on he would be the one to stop confrontation, he wasn’t a conflicting kind of guy," said Rico Scott, McDonald’s cousin.
"Many are grieving, and because of the type of guy he was, this is bringing real concern and frustration in the community. And I understand it, because some of the message that we send to people, if you’re out there doing good, the last thing we expect for you to do is die by gun violence," said Prince George’s County Councilmember Wala Blegay.
McDonald leaves behind a young son, a sister and his mother. his brother was murdered five years ago.
Councilmember Blegay plans to meet with the police department to see what more can be done to improve safety in the area.