Verdict in Granite-Fab Mass Shooting: Guilty
BEL AIR, Md. – A man convicted last week of killing three co-workers and injuring two others during a mass shooting three years ago at a Maryland fabrication shop now awaits sentencing.
A jury here found Radee Prince guilty on three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder during an incident at Advanced Granite Solutions in Edgewood, Md., on Oct. 17, 2017.
The same jury on Monday also found Prince, 40, could be held criminally responsible for the crime, negating any claims of insanity concerning the incident.
During the trial last week, Prince testified that he shot the workers, but only after he feared for his life.
In the 2017 incident, Prince opened fire with a semiautomatic handgun as fellow workers gathered around him early in the workday. A workplace video showed workers either falling or running away shortly after they assembled in the shop.
Three of the workers – Bayarsaikhan Tudev, Jose Hildago Romero and Enis Mrvoljak – died. Two others – Enoc Villegas Sosa and Jose Roberto Flores Gillen — survived the attack.
All five were shot in the head.
During the trial, shop employees testified that Prince was a good worker at Advanced Granite Solutions, but seemed distant and aloof.
Prince testified last Wednesday that, after overhearing what he determined to be a threatening phone call and having workers bump into him during the workday, he got his gun on the day of the incident and called workers together to request they leave him alone. He began firing after seeing what he determined was a threatening gesture.
Last Friday, after three hours of deliberation, the jury returned its guilty verdicts for murder, attempted murder, using a firearm in a felony crime and illegal use of a firearm. Prosecutors stated they would seek five life sentences without the possibility of parole.
The case finally came to trial this year after postponements due to psychiatric evaluations concerning Prince’s ability to understand criminal conduct and conforming their behavior to the law.
The Maryland trial also occurred after a Delaware jury in May 2018 found Prince guilty of criminal manslaughter in a Wilmington, Del., incident on the same day of the Maryland mass shooting.
If Prince had been convicted of a more-serious charge in Delaware, he’d be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Maryland prosecutors opted to let the Delaware case proceed first, as Maryland state law only allows life-without-parole sentences at the discretion of the judge.
After last week’s conviction, Maryland prosecutors stated they would seek five sentences of life without parole.
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