Victim identified in Silver Spring stabbing; suspect charged

Police in Montgomery County, Maryland, have identified the victim and charged one person in a fatal stabbing.

Getro Banamina, 19, died following a fight Tuesday morning between him and Dakari Thomas, 18. It happened on the 900 block of Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring at around 11:30 a.m..

Police found Thomas with wounds to his hand and arm. He told officers that he was in a fight with another person, who fled the scene. Police also found a knife on Thomas, a news release said.

Police found Banamina on the 8400 block of Fenton Street with stab wounds on his chest area. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Thomas had been arrested on charges of first-degree assault, which later changed to first-degree murder when Banamina died. He is also facing an attempted escape charge after he tried to run when he was being led to a police cruiser.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should call Montgomery County police’s Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070.

Below is the area where it happened.


Abigail Constantino

Abigail Constantino started her journalism career writing for a local newspaper in Fairfax County, Virginia. She is a graduate of American University and The George Washington University.

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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