Rockville Metro Shooter Sentenced to 25 Years

A Rockville teen was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison for a May 2012 double shooting at the Rockville Metro station, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office announced.

Kevin Q. Nguyen, 17, was sentenced to 20 years for attempted second-degree murder and five years for using a handgun while committing a felony.

He pleaded guilty to the charges Dec. 10.

Prosecutors said the shooting stemmed from an after-school fight at Richard Montgomery High School between Nguyen and the victim, Jared Cannon. After the fight, Cannon said he planned to rob Nguyen, according court records.

In retaliation, Nguyen tracked down and shot Cannon in the pedestrian tunnel of the Rockville Metro station on May 18, 2012. Cannon, who was 16 at the time, and a female bystander, Wasima Gary, who was 19, were wounded, according to court records.

Tavares D. Harris, 18, was found guilty Dec. 4 of first-degree assault and use of a handgun in a violent crime for supplying the gun.

Prosecutors cited a YouTube video that they said showed Harris rapping about the handgun used in the shooting and said the shooting was gang-related.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said in a statement released after the sentencing:

“Mr. Nguyen faces many years in prison because of the misguided glorification of the gangster lifestyle and for shooting at Mr. Jared Cannon and Ms. Wasima Gary, an innocent bystander. This sentence sends a strong message that gun violence will not be tolerated in our community. If you belong to a gang and shoot a rival or anyone for that matter or provide the weapon, police will find you and we will put you behind bars.”