Howard County illegal firearms investigation leads to ghost guns, several arrests
BALTIMORE -- Several people have been arrested following an illegal firearms investigation, including a teenager from Baltimore, according to Howard County officials.
The arrests come after a gun used in a deadly shooting was found by investigators as they were conducting a search warrant in connection to a robbery and firearms investigation, Howard County officials said.
The robbery led investigators to execute search warrants at multiple locations in Columbia, Maryland. The robbery occurred on July 16 in Ellicott City and involved a theft from a teen, but the search warrants were executed on Oct. 19, according to Howard County officials.
While searching the locations, investigators found multiple guns, including ghost guns that were in various states of assembly, Howard County officials said.
A 16-year-old boy from Columbia was arrested for allegedly possessing unregulated privately made firearms. A 17-year-old boy from Columbia was charged with robbery, assault, and illegal possession of multiple firearms. A second 17-year-old boy from Columbia has been charged with robbery, assault, and possession of unregulated privately made firearms, officials said.
The adult, 46-year-old Kevin Mobley of Columbia, Maryland, was arrested for allegedly possessing multiple firearms, according to Howard County officials.
Mobley was released on a $50,000 bond, officials said.
The deadly shooting that involved one of the guns happened around 10 p.m. on Oct. 16— just days before the search warrants were executed. Three people were injured by gunfire at a gas station in the 6000 block of Foreland Garth.
On that night, 24-year-old Dylan Perez was fatally injured. Two other people were injured, too, but they survived their injuries.
Howard County officials said that two people have been arrested and charged in connection to the shooting: 18-year-old Shamond Isiah Steward of Baltimore and a 17-year-old boy who also hails from Baltimore.
Steward faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault and firearms charges, according to Howard County officials.
The 17-year-old boy, who was not named, faces charges as an adult, Howard County officials said. Those charges consist of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, as well as first-degree assault and firearms charges.
"By combining investigative expertise in our violent crime, robbery, firearms, property crimes, and drug units, we are able to look at these cases through a wider lens," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement following an announcement about the arrests. "We are now one step closer to holding these suspects accountable and providing some closure on crimes that have disturbed our community."
