Alleged shooter found dead

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Derrick Thomas Pulliam, 20, was found dead at 12:38 p.m. June 17 in a barn near the shooting scene.

The investigation began when officers responded to the 11700 block of Hemingley Place in Newburg at 8:47 p.m. June 15 for a report of the shooting. Pulliam and the victim, a 23-year-old Waldorf man, were attending a gathering when they began to argue, according to police reports.

During the argument, Pulliam pulled a handgun and shot the victim, officers said. After the shooting, Pulliam fled the scene on foot, police said. Officers searched the area but could not locate him.

A warrant was issued for Pulliam’s arrest, charging him with attempted second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, using a handgun in the commission of a violent crime and reckless endangerment.

The shooting victim was flown by a Maryland State Police helicopter to Prince George’s Hospital Center where he is expected to survive his injuries.

Detectives responded to the barn in Newburg on Tuesday after its owner, who was not connected to the June 15 shooting, discovered Pulliam. The apparent suicide likely occurred shortly after the shooting, police report after a preliminary investigation.