WASHINGTON — A 21-year-old man is dead after a shooting in Montgomery County Thursday evening.
Police say the shooting happened in the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road, near Lake Forest Mall, around 6 p.m. When police arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound to the head.
Emergency crews initially believed the victim was a woman, but later determined he was a man. The man was conscious and alert when he was taken to the hospital.
Around 8:45 p.m., Montgomery County police said that the shooting had become a homicide investigation.
The victim was identified as DeAndre Smith, of Montgomery Village. The victim was a transgender female who went by the name Zella Ziona.
Police say the shooting is not believed to be random, and said that no suspect is in custody.
“This is a horrific crime and a tragedy for those who knew Zella,” says Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger. “As with all homicides in Montgomery County, we have detectives working around the clock to thoroughly and completely investigate this murder.”
Officials have not released any additional details about the incident at this time. Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070 or Crime Solvers of Montgomery County at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Below is a map with the location of the shooting:
