Marcus Lamar Black, 20, of Grasonville was sentenced in the Queen Anne’s County Circuit Court to 53 years in prison for his role in an August 2013 shooting that has left three people injured and scarred for life.  Judge Thomas Ross handed down the sentence on October 17, 2014.  Ross ordered Black to serve active incarceration for 28 years and suspended 25 years of the 53 year sentence.  Black was convicted of three counts of first degree assault and related offenses following an August 2014 jury trial.  Black was convicted of opening fire with a shotgun on a group of individuals at a cookout in the Grasonville, Maryland area.  Three individuals were shot and ultimately transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment.  All three victims have been released from the hospital; however, steel pellets that were fired from the shotgun still remain imbedded in the victims.  Deputy State’s Attorney, Christine Dulla-Rickard, the prosecutor in this case, had asked the Court to sentence Black to 30 years of active incarceration citing the long criminal history of Mr. Black and the need to send a strong message to the community that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in Queen Anne’s County. Black is currently serving a 5 year prison sentence for a prior reckless endangerment conviction, which was the result of an assault on a juvenile.  The sentence handed down by Judge Ross, related to the shooting, was ordered to be served consecutive to the sentence Black is currently serving for the prior reckless endangerment conviction, meaning this prison sentence will not start until the reckless endangerment sentence has been completed.

Detectives from the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff criminal investigative unit are continuing the investigation of this incident.