Arrest Made in Connection With March Drug-Related Shooting at Marley Station

A man was arrested Tuesday in Silver Spring in connection with a shooting last month in the parking lot of Marley Station Mall, according to police, who say the incident was drug related.

Christopher Royal Gayle, 22, was arrested and charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, illegal possession of a handgun, use of a gun in the commission of a felony and reckless endangerment. He was arrested with the assistance of Montgomery County Police.

According to court records, Gayle is listed as a Lanham resident.

The investigation is ongoing as police are working to locate a second suspect.

Ricky Johnson, 23, of Snow Hill was shot twice in the upper torso March 29 in the parking lot of Marley Station Mall. He has since been released from the hospital, according to Anne Arundel County Police spokesman Justin Mulcahy.

At about 12:45 p.m. March 29 police received a report of a man being shot and responded to the Dunkin' Donuts at Ritchie Highway and Jumpers Hole Road in Pasadena.

Once on the scene, officers learned that Johnson was shot in the parking lot of Marley Station Mall and taken to the Dunkin' Donuts by two acquaintances, Mulcahy said March 29.

Witnesses described the suspects to police as two men who fled the scene heading south on Ritchie Highway in a dark gray Honda. Through investigation and evidence collected, including drugs that Mulcahy acknowledged were recovered from the scene, police determined the incident was drug related.

Police noted that none of the people involved were from Anne Arundel County and the Marley Station Mall was chosen only as a meeting point.

A preliminary hearing for Gayle is scheduled for May 11, according to court records.

According to court records, a 2008 case against Johnson, where he pleaded guilty to possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute, was reopened March 11 due to violation of probation. He is scheduled to appear in court for a violation of probation hearing July 11.

Metro Crime Stoppers: If you have information on the above incidents, please call, e-mail or text your tip to Metro Crime Stoppers. A hotline is available 24 hours a day toll-free at 866-7LOCKUP or text "MCS" plus your message to CRIMES (274637).

Phone calls are not recorded and callers remain anonymous. You may also be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.