Harford County shooter gathered employees before opening fire, authorities say
EDGEWOOD, Md. - Authorities say 37-year-old Radee Labeeb Prince gathered his co-workers together before opening fire Wednesday morning at a business in Harford County, Maryland - an incident that left three dead and launched a 12-hour manhunt that ended with his capture in Delaware later that night.
Speaking with FOX 5 Thursday morning, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said Prince worked at the location of the shooting, Advanced Granite Solutions, for about four months. The company, which manufactures countertops, is located in the Emmorton Business Park in Edgewood, Maryland.
"He came into work that day, there are some reports out there, that he indeed called the workers together and assembled them," Gahler said. "He strategized and thought this thing through ahead of time - it's obvious."
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Gahler said the victims did not know the reason for the meeting and that Prince pulled his weapon out and began firing once they were all together.
"His intent was clear - to take as many lives as he could yesterday," Gahler said, noting a specific motive was not yet known. "This is just a monster who really, from what we are seeing, probably should not have been on the street and in a position to commit these acts of violence."
Prince knew all six of the shooting victims, according to officials. The two injured in Maryland remain in critical condition the man in Delaware appears to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The three victims killed were identified as 53-year-old Bayarsaikhan Tudev, 34-year-old Jose Hidalgo Romero, of Aberdeen, Maryland, and 48-year-old Enis Mrvoljak, of Dundalk, Maryland. The two surviving victims being treated at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore have been identified as 38-year-old Enoc Sosa and 37-year-old Jose Gillen.
The first charges against Prince, for his alleged role in the shooting in Delaware which happened later Wednesday, were filed Thursday morning. He was arraigned in a Wilmington courtroom on attempted murder and weapons offenses for allegedly shooting a man at a used car dealership in the city with whom police said he had "beefs" with.
Bail was set at a total of approximately $2.1 million. He has yet to be arraigned on charges related to the deadly Maryland shootings. Maryland police are expected to seek his return to that state to face charges in the workplace shooting, which would include first and second-degree murder and first and second-degree attempted murder.
"Our state attorney's office will be talking to their attorney general up there about what's going to happen and whether or not he fights extradition or not. If he fights it we'll have to go down a different road to go and get him brought back to Maryland, but if he doesn't then he'll eventually be brought back down to Maryland," Gahler said. "We're still working to bring our investigation to a completion and to make sure all the T's are crossed and all the I's are dotted."
A massive multi-state manhunt was launched for Prince after he fled the shooting scene in Harford County.
His vehicle was later recovered unoccupied in New Castle County, Delaware. He was then apprehended by officers after a brief foot chase. Police say Prince discarded a .380 firearm during the pursuit which was later recovered. He was taken into custody without incident.
Prince was fired from JPS Marble & Granite in Forest Hill, Maryland in February after he attacked a co-worker, according to Philip Saison, who was Prince's boss. Saison filed a restraining order against him after Prince returned to the business to yell at him
"I felt very threatened because he is a big guy and very aggressive on me," Saison said in the application for the restraining order. Saison said Prince did not get physical with him, but wrote: "I do not want to wait until he will."
A Harford County District Court judge denied the order, stating the petitioner didn't meet the burden of proof.
Prince faced several gun charges in March 2015 in Cecil County, including being a felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a handgun in vehicle. However, the charges were dropped about three months later.
Wilmington police said Prince had been previously arrested 42 times in Delaware, including 15 felony convictions. Officials said most of the arrests were for probation violations.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help the victims and the families of the victims in the Harford County shooting. To learn how to donate, click here.