COLUMBIA, Md. — A Salisbury man was found shot to death on Tuesday night in Columbia.
WATCH: Salisbury man shot to death in Columbia's Merriweather District
Howard County Police say a 39-year-old victim was discovered inside a vehicle; they responded around 10:35pm to a parking lot off Dove Sail Lane and Merriweather Drive, just south of Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Sherry Llewellyn, a spokesperson for the department, told WMAR-2 News the shooting was isolated and targeted.
"The witnesses told us they saw the victim walking to the vehicle, he got into the car and very quickly thereafter a car pulled up and someone walked up to that vehicle, fired those shots and then they ran off," Llewellyn told WMAR-2 News.
Dove Sail Lane separates a parking lot, pictured above, and a mixed-use development with several restaurants and apartments.
Police believe the suspect knew the victim was going to be in the area, and waited until they spotted him before firing the shots, Llewellyn explained.
"The victim in this situation is from Salisbury, and we understand that he was staying with a friend in the Columbia area. But that's another reason we believe that he was likely targeted, because this was not a situation where this was someone local. Someone had to know he was here."
Police did not immediately release the man's identity.
"Any violent incident is concerning, and certainly we are investigating this thoroughly. The people in that area should know that this is not a common incident in that neighborhood and we do believe it was targeted and isolated," Llewellyn added.
A reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Anyone with information can call 410-313-STOP or email HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.
