Two Men Arrested On Attempted Murder Charges In Taco Bell Shooting

SILVER SPRING, MD — Two men are in jail without bond on attempted murder charges tied to a shooting last month at a Taco Bell in Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County Police.

Souleymane Traore, 18, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault and Maximus Jean Jerome, 19, was charged with multiple counts of second-degree assault. Both are from Silver Spring, a police report said.

On June 23 at about 6 p.m., police were called to a Taco Bell in the 8600 block of Colesville Road for the report of a shooting. Detectives said three male victims were confronted inside the restaurant by Traore and Jerome, leading to a fight.

After Traore and Jerome left the restaurant, Traore went back inside and held the victims at gunpoint, police said in a news release. Moments later, when the brother of one of the victims arrived at the location and attempted to intervene, Traore put the handgun to the head of the victim’s brother and fired one round, causing a graze wound to his head. Traore and Jerome then left.

The shooting victim was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

On June 27, detectives identified Traore and Jerome as the two suspects and obtained an arrest warrant against them. The pair were arrested July 1, and a search warrant was executed at Traore’s residence, where evidence was recovered.

Traore and Jerome, of Silver Spring, were taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where they are being held without bond.