Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Judge Jill Cummins sentenced Abdul Fossett, 19, of Derwood, MD, to 15 years in prison with all but seven suspended, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Fossett pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and possession of a loaded handgun after he was captured on surveillance video firing gunshots in the middle of the day at the White Oak Shopping Center, located on the 11200 block of New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring.
The incident occurred on March 23, 2021.
His intended victim ran off and was not hurt. As part of a plea agreement, Fossett also pleaded guilty to second-degree assault for attacking a fellow inmate after he was detained.
“I thank Judge Jill Cummins for imposing a lengthy sentence in this case to help protect the safety of the community. Hopefully this provides deterrence for others who would attempt to use a deadly weapon in a crowded area. Escalating a conflict to this level of violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our county. Thanks to Assistant State’s Attorney Kelly McGann for his work in ensuring the defendant is held responsible for his actions,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
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