An employee at a senior living facility in Maryland is facing multiple felony charges in connection with the Valentine's Day shooting death of an 87-year-old resident and the attempted murder of a state trooper earlier this week, authorities said.
First responders found Fuller Jr. unresponsive in his apartment at the assisted living center around 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 14 and pronounced him dead at the scene. Detectives observed a gunshot wound to his head, and his death was later ruled a homicide, officials said.
At approximately 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a Maryland State Police trooper pulled James over in West Baltimore for driving a vehicle without tags, Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada told reporters at the press briefing.
During the traffic stop, James allegedly shot at the trooper and fled in his vehicle. A shell casing recovered at the scene was analyzed, leading detectives to determine that the same gun was used in the fatal shooting of Fuller Jr., officials said.
James was arrested later that day and is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Center in Rockville. In addition to first-degree murder, he has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and assault, among other charges, relating to the shot fired at the trooper, case records viewed by NTD show.
NTD reached out to James's attorney for comment, but a response was not received by publication time.
Cogir of Potomac told NTD via text message on Thursday that ensuring the safety, security, and wellbeing of residents is the facility's top priority.
"We are relieved that a suspect has been arrested. We would like to offer our sincere gratitude to the Montgomery County Department of Police for their swift and decisive action in apprehending the suspect," the statement reads.
"We have provided our full cooperation throughout their investigation and will continue doing our part to ensure that justice is served. We remain heartbroken by Mr. Fuller's tragic death and our hearts continue to be with his family and loved ones."