Neighbors frightened after Waldorf couple gunned down

The path where the couple was gunned down Friday night is located off of Hampshire Court. (WTOP/Darci Marchese)
A sketch of the suspect in the shooting. (Courtesy of the Charles County Sheriff's Office)
The path where the couple was gunned down Friday night is located off of Hampshire Court. (WTOP/Darci Marchese)
The path where the couple was gunned down Friday night is located off of Hampshire Court. (WTOP/Darci Marchese)
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Darci Marchese, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – A crime that shocked a normally quiet community in Waldorf, Md., has made some neighbors afraid to come out of their homes.

A couple was gunned down while walking their dog on a path along Hampshire Court around 7:30 p.m. Friday night. The shooting occurred between Gopher Court and Flying Squirrel Court, in the Hampshire neighborhood off of Smallwood Drive.

The Charles County Sheriff’s office says Teresa Bass, 40, was shot multiple times and killed while walking along the path with her husband and their dog, a boxer. Her husband was also shot and was flown to an area hospital. He is currently in serious condition.

Diane Richardson, spokesman for the Charles County Sheriff’s office, says deputies are canvassing the neighborhood nonstop, handing out flyers to neighbors. While they are working some leads, Richardson says they are not ready to rule out any motive in the case and that they are working every angle.

“It truly is frightening,” says Darlene Dickerson, who lives along Hampshire Court. “I was afraid to come out even this morning, to be honest with you.”

Dickerson was out walking her small dog on Wednesday.

“I think this whole neighborhood is in shock,” she says. “You don’t see anyone outside.”

Candy Rives lives about 30 yards from where the shooting occurred.

“It was spooky,” Rives says. “My husband was sitting in the living room and he said he heard the shots: bang, bang, bang, bang.”

He quickly called 911. Police were already nearby because there of a football game just wrapping up at Westlake High School nearby.

Charles County deputies say police were on scene in about a minute, but it was long enough for the suspect to get away.

The suspect is described as a black man in his early 20s. He is about 6 feet tall with a slim build and short, curly hair.

There is a $20,000 reward offered for information that helps lead to a conviction. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (301) 932-222 or 1-866-TIPS.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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