This article was originally published at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 22 and updated at 3:45 p.m. with more details from police.
Charles Reynolds was having dinner Wednesday evening with his family at a downtown Silver Spring restaurant. Afterward, the plan was for the 62-year-old to take leftovers back to his vehicle, parked on the third floor of the Wayne Avenue garage, before meeting back up with his family for ice cream at a nearby Ben & Jerry’s.
Reynolds didn’t return. Efforts to locate him led to the discovery of a severely injured man with “lots of blood loss” in the second-floor stairwell of the garage, according to Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones. That man was later identified as Reynolds.
Police believe he had been shot, Jones said.
Jones was joined by County Executive Marc Elrich, Commander David McBane from the Silver Spring district of MCPD, and newly-elected County Council member Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4).
McBane said the police department was diverting resources and staff from neighboring districts to supply “high police presence” in downtown Silver Spring as a result of the incident. Foot patrols will be stationed in county-owned parking garages across the city, he said, adding that these efforts would continue “for the foreseeable future, until we can get some answers to this horrific crime.”
Reynolds’ personal property is “all accounted for on his person,” Jones said. “It does not appear at this point that anything was taken from him.” Police had been called about 8:59 p.m. Reynolds’ vehicle was also located where he left it parked in the garage.
Though Jones said police believe Reynolds was shot, there is no clear motive for the attack.
“We do not have any suspects at this point in time,” he said. “We have no leads at this particular time, and we are asking for the public’s help.”
Investigators are working with local establishments and entities to locate video footage that might assist in the investigation, Jones said.
Police said late Wednesday that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore would conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Elrich called the shooting “the kind of random thing that really is most worrisome to people in the community.”
He said the county would be doing everything it can to identify the attacker and to increase security in Silver Spring, including adding cameras to garage stairwells for greater visibility.
Anyone who was in the Silver Spring area on Wednesday night and may have seen something suspicious is encouraged to call the Major Crimes Division at 866-411-8477 and request to speak with a homicide detective.
“If you know something, please tell us,” Elrich said.
