HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — Columbia man, Shawndel Arneez Weems, was found guilty today by a Howard County jury of second-degree murder and use of a handgun in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Simeon Mukuna.
Officers responded to reports of shooting in the 7500 block of Monarch Mills Way on February 6, 2021. When they arrived, they found Mukuna lying on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds.
After medical treatment, he was pronounced dead on the scene.
Witnesses say he was helping a friend with vehicle maintenance. He walked to his car to get his jacket and when he walked back a vehicle pulled up alongside him.
Weems was the driver of the car and he began firing, striking Mukuna multiple times.
After the shooting, Weems parked his car and went back to his apartment. A search warrant revealed a 9mm handgun and one magazine with live rounds in it.
He later told investigators that when he drove through the parking lot, he felt as if Mukuna was looking at him with malice.
Weems didn't know the victim and has never seen him before. He also claimed that Mukuna had a handgun, but no such weapon was ever found.
He will be sentenced on September 30, 2022 and faces up to 60 years of active incarceration.
