Man awaiting trial for DC murder arrested after shooting into 2 homes in Prince George’s Co.

Man awaiting trial for DC murder now charged with shooting into 2 homes in Prince George's Co.

A man awaiting trial for his alleged role in a 2022 homicide in D.C. was once again arrested — this time in Bowie where police say he fired shots into two occupied apartment buildings.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - A man awaiting trial for his alleged role in a 2022 homicide in D.C. was once again arrested — this time in Prince George's County where police say he fired shots into two occupied apartment buildings.

According to the Bowie Police Department, officers responded to the 3000 block of Twisting Lane for a report of a shooting around 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 15. Police were told that a suspect had fired multiple rounds into a home that had several people inside ranging in age from four-months-old to 74-years-old.

A window was shattered and furniture was damaged in the shooting but police say luckily, no one was injured.

Bowie investigators later determined that the shooting stemmed from a domestic incident involving 20-year-old Gerald Andre Thomas. Then the Bladensburg Police Department identified Thomas as the suspect in another shooting that had occurred just 30 minutes earlier where several shots were fired into another occupied apartment building.

Monday night, U.S. Marshals, along with Bowie and Bladensburg police officers, apprehended Thomas and they say he gave statements implicating himself in both incidents.

He’s been charged with multiple felonies including, attempted first and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, felony use of a handgun and reckless endangerment. He’s now in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

The Nov. 15 shootings happened one day after a hearing where prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. re-argued their stance Thomas should be held in jail as he awaits proceedings related to a January 2022 homicide in D.C.

Officials say on Jan. 27, 20-year-old Dasha Cleary of Waldorf was killed when shots were fired during a party at the Days Inn hotel in the 4400 block of Connecticut Avenue. Four other people were also injured in the shooting, police say.

Thomas, 18 years old at the time, was arrested on second-degree murder charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office told FOX 5 Tuesday that they have repeatedly argued that Thomas should remain in jail but those requests were denied.

"The U.S. Attorney’s Office originally asked the Court to hold the defendant (Gerald Thomas) pending trial following the January 2022 homicide. The defendant was released by the Court in April 2022 after a preliminary hearing. Each time the defendant was subsequently re-arrested, the Office again asked the Court to have the defendant held in detention. Those additional requests were denied," the USAO said in a statement.

A USAO spokesperson even provided FOX 5 with a timeline of events in Thomas’ 2022 murder case, his other arrests and their court filings.

Murder occurred on January 27, 2022
Case filed on February 19, 2022, Hold granted
Preliminary hearing on April 7, 2022, Defendant released Office objection.
Defendant arrested in PG County on September 9, 2022
U.S. Attorney’s Office asks for revocation based on re-arrest on September 22, 2022, which was denied
Defendant arrested again in PG County on November 8, 2022
U.S. Attorney’s Office again asked for revocation based on both re-arrests on December 13, 2022, which was denied
Defendant indicted in PG County on both cases in December 2022
15-page motion for reconsideration filed by USAO based on indictment in both cases
U.S. Attorney’s Office argued for revocation of release based on motion for reconsideration at hearing on March 28, 2023, which was denied;
On July 7, 2023, a grand jury returned a 15-count indictment against Defendant charging him with Felony First Degree Murder WA, among other charges
At arraignment on July 14, 2023, government again requested to step defendant back based on change in circumstances (returned indictment + increased charges from Second Degree to Felony First Degree), which was denied; trial set for May 2025
At status hearing on November 14, 2023, government reiterated position that defendant should be held.

Thomas has been ordered to be held without bond for the Maryland shootings.

Perry Paylor, Deputy State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, said his office has met with both the families of the intended target during the Nov. 15 incidents and January 2022 homicide.

"We did have an opportunity to meet with next of kin in the DC case to assure them we’re putting forward our very best efforts to ensure them Mr. Thomas was held without bond," Paylor said.

State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County Aisha Braveboy addressed the issue of gun violence. She says people need to seek help before resorting to violence.

"I don’t doubt that there are individuals in our community who have dealt with childhood trauma, who have dealt with abuse, who may be suffering from addiction. That is probably true, but you have to get help. It’s not enough to say, ‘Well…I experienced this 10 years ago, 15 years ago.’ When you take someone else’s life, nobody cares about that," she said. "While I am a compassionate person, my compassion first goes to victim, the community and then obviously anyone who was involved as a defendant in the justice system. It has to be in that order. We have to value the sanctity of life."

"He doesn’t know who’s behind the doors or windows he’s shooting out. There could be multiple people. We have had cases where people got shot through a window and died. So, he is fortunate that did not happen in this case. My concern is that he didn’t care. We have places for people who don’t care," she added.

FOX 5 asked why the government’s requests for Thomas to be held in D.C. have been denied over the past nearly two years.

A spokesperson for the D.C. Courts pointed us to statutes saying the court is required to weigh the nature and circumstances of every case and the strength of the government’s evidence.

"The court is required to weigh the nature and circumstances of the offense, the strength of the govt’s evidence, the history and characteristics of the defendant and nature and seriousness of danger to a person or community if defendant were released," a D.C. Courts spokesperson said in an email FOX 5.

An attorney for Thomas did not return a call Tuesday from FOX 5 seeking comment.

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