Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder for Wheaton Metro Bus Stabbing

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Jeannie Cho, a jury has found defendant, Tyrone Curtis, 35, of Washington, D.C., guilty of first-degree murder for the death of 29-year-old Amontae Cunningham.

The verdict came in on the evening of January 24, 2024. Curtis faces the potential of life in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 5, 2024.

This stems from an incident on April 5, 2023, at approximately 12:25 p.m. The defendant and victim became engaged in a verbal altercation on a Metro Transit bus in Wheaton. The victim exited the bus when it stopped in front of 11304 Amherst Avenue. The defendant followed the victim off of the bus with his knife blade out and to his side and then stabbed the victim one time in the upper torso. The victim fell on the sidewalk. Video of the incident was captured by surveillance cameras on the bus.

“This was a verbal altercation between strangers that the defendant senselessly escalated. There was zero justification for the use of a deadly weapon, and he will pay the consequences. We express our heartfelt condolences to the family of Amontae Cunningham and thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Thea Zumwalt and Caitlin Murphy for the successful prosecution of this case,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.”