Maryland teen killed in crossfire at Columbia mall was trying get home, mother says
Blake McCray, a 15-year-old freshman at Oakland Mills High School, was shot and killed in the crossfire at The Mall in Columbia on Feb. 22, his family told WJZ.
Police said McCray and 16-year-old Michael Robertson were at a bus loop area outside of Lidl when they were targeted in a double shooting by 18-year-old Emmetson Zeah.
Robertson died that night, while McCray later died at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center after being shot in the head.
McCray's mother Marshay Eaddy told WJZ's Tara Lynch in an exclusive interview that her son didn't know Zeah, and she believes he was an innocent bystander.
He was heading home
McCray was at the mall with friends, grieving the loss of another teen, who had died following a medical emergency earlier, his mother told WJZ. By dinnertime, Eaddy's 12-year-old son rushed to tell her McCray was shot.
"Mom, they said, Blake got shot at the mall,'" Eaddy recalled. "I jumped up. I was kind of numb. I got myself together. [Then my son said] 'they said it was a head shot, mom.'"
Eaddy said her son was leaving the mall, abiding by its curfew, and heading home.
"In 10 minutes, my son would have been home," Eaddy said. "I gave my son permission to go to the mall. We tell our kids to be good, live good, do right. Then, you don't have to worry about these types of things. He got his life took by someone that he doesn't even know, just from being outside and just trying to be a kid."
McCray's grandmother Katina Sharp went with Eaddy to Shock Trauma, where she remembers the shock and horror she felt for her grandson. As a registered nurse, she says she understood the seriousness of the injuries.
"I ran out the house with what I had on, one shoe in my hand, nothing a million years that I thought that he would have been shot in his head," Sharp said.
Eaddy says her son was responsible, always picking up household chores and being a good role model for his two younger brothers. She never thought something like this would happen.
Remembering a fun-loving teenager
McCray's personality was infectious, according to his family. He had dreams of becoming a contractor and owning his own business.
His mother says all of the furniture in their home was built by the teen, who was good at working with his hands.
His grandmother called him her ray of sunshine.
"You can meet him for five minutes, and everybody just loved him," Sharp said.
Even now, his family refers to McCray in the present tense, knowing that he is still with them daily.
Sharp says she remembers the jokes he used to play on her, including sneaking up behind her and tugging at her pants pocket while she was cooking.
"I said, 'Blake, I know that was you,'" Sharp said.
The 15-year-old is the oldest of three brothers, whom his family says he was extremely protective of. His mother says he was the man of the house, always trying to take care of others before himself.
While at Shock Trauma, McCray's family said dozens of friends, teachers, and other people who knew him came to show their support, which they called overwhelming.
"I didn't know my grandson was loved by so many people," Sharp said. "We've done something right. All of those little talks we had with him, he listened."
Legacy of Blake McCray
McCray's family and friends are committed to keeping his legacy alive.
Regina McLendon, McCray's former middle school principal, is working with community partners on a program for young men to learn how to grieve and heal together. She says when she learned about the shooting, she kept saying, "I'm not it."
It's been a challenging few months for the Oakland Mills community. She says four of her students died within three months of each other.
"I was just done. I couldn't be it anymore," McLendon said.
She's turning her pain into passion through a community outreach initiative.
"The Ubuntu Project" brings together young men for healing, mentorship, and empowerment. The program will include healing circles, conversation, creative expression, and physical activity, like boxing and yoga.
"We still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of work to do with these young men out here who are trying to understand it. We don't want them to become angry. We want them to know that we have men in our community that want to support them," said McLendon, who is the principal at Oakland Mills Middle School. "His legacy is bigger than what he even imagined."
The program will be held on April 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Celebration Church in Columbia.
McCray's family vows to live each day for him.
"His legacy just shows like, no matter how young or how much time do you have here, you can make an impact on people's lives," Eaddy said.
Howard County youth engagement strategy
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball created the Youth Engagement Strategy (YES!) Council this week.
The 27-member body will concentrate on youth-focused projects, including mentoring, conflict resolution, economic mobility, and programming. The county calls this a short-term plan to reduce youth violence in the county. The council will expire at the end of 2025.
The county also announced additional funding for S.T.A.N.D. and P.U.S.H., which are previously existing youth outreach programs. The organizations will receive $100,000.
Zeah in court
Emmetson Zeah, 18, was arrested and charged hours after the shooting at The Mall in Columbia. He is accused of murder and related charges.
Zeah was on home surveillance for an unrelated case when the shooting occurred. Court records show he violated his detention several times, and it was reported to the courts one day before the fatal mall shooting.
According to police, Zeah is also facing attempted murder charges for a shooting in Columbia on Feb. 14. No injuries were reported, but shell casings were found at the scene.
Zeah is due back in court on May 2.
