Marcellus Franklin Thomas, age 37, of Waldorf
UPDATE 4/15/2026: Marcellus Franklin Thomas, 37, of Waldorf, is facing 22 charges in Charles County after prosecutors say he shot at an adult male victim outside a 7-Eleven in Waldorf on March 21, 2026, and then was later found in possession of multiple firearms, ammunition and body armor during a search of his home, according to court documents.
The Circuit Court case charged Thomas with the following.
- two counts of first-degree assault
- one count of second-degree assault
- two counts of use of a firearm in a violent crime
- three counts of firearm possession after a disqualifying conviction
- two counts of illegal possession of a regulated firearm
- carrying a handgun on his person
- two counts of carrying a loaded handgun on his person
- carrying a handgun in a vehicle
- reckless endangerment
- disorderly conduct
- three counts of possession of a rifle or shotgun by a disqualified person
- possession of bulletproof armor
- illegal possession of ammunition.
The indictment lists offense dates of March 21, 2026, and March 24, 2026.
According to charging documents, investigators said a shooting happened at about 10:37 p.m. March 21, 2026, at the 7-Eleven on St. Ignatius Drive in Waldorf. The documents say the investigation led officers to accuse Thomas of firing a weapon at an adult male victim.
The case was first filed in District Court for Charles County, where Thomas was ordered held without bond on March 24, 2026. A bail review was held March 25, 2026, and the hold without bond remained in place.
Court records say the Charles County Sheriff’s Office obtained and carried out a search warrant on March 24, 2026, at Senna Court in Waldorf, which the documents describe as Thomas’ residence. Officers wrote that Thomas was detained there and taken to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office District Three Station in Waldorf. According to the probable cause statement, Thomas “said he understood his rights” after being advised of them, and later “said that I could and he would answer some questions.”
Investigators wrote that detectives searching a bedroom identified as Thomas’ found multiple firearms, ammunition and body armor, and that additional firearms were found in the basement.
The probable cause statement lists five firearms allegedly recovered: a Charter Arms .38 revolver, a Freedom Ordnance 9mm FX-9, a Del-Ton AR-15 rifle, a Mossberg Model 88 12-gauge shotgun and a Mossburg New Haven firearm. The documents also list ammunition, magazines, accessories and three pieces of body armor, including a Force One ballistic vest, GH ballistic armor, and hard ballistic armor with a green plate carrier.
According to the documents, Thomas told investigators the body armor “were his” and that he “would sometimes wear them depending on where he was going.” Officers also wrote that he said he wore it “for his safety due to his past trauma that he had.” When asked about firearms found in a case in his room, the documents say Thomas stated the case and guns were his father’s and that “when his father passed, he took possession of them.” The report says that when officers told him he was barred from having firearms, he appeared surprised and made a statement “along the lines of, but I am not a felon.”
The charging papers also say Thomas admitted he fired a gun during the March 21 incident because he feared for his safety. According to the probable cause statement, he admitted “that he did shoot a gun at the victim” at the Waldorf 7-Eleven. When officers asked where that gun was, the documents say he stated he had dismantled it completely and “recycled” the parts.
Investigators wrote that Thomas was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a previous second-degree assault conviction entered on Aug. 24, 2015, in Circuit Court for Charles County. The documents also say that prior conviction barred him from possessing bulletproof armor.
District Court records show Thomas waived an attorney at his initial appearance on March 24, 2026, then later had the Charles County Public Defender’s Office enter an appearance on March 25, 2026. The District Court file is now closed because the matter was transferred to circuit court, where the case remains open.
3/25/2026: On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, officers arrested Marcellus Franklin Thomas, age 37, of Waldorf in connection with an aggravated assault and weapons violations case. The incident occurred on March 21 at about 10:30 p.m. outside of a convenience store on St. Ignatius Drive in Waldorf.
Thomas was involved in an argument with the victim when he retrieved a firearm from his car, pointed it at the victim, and fired one round at the victim’s vehicle; no one in the car was injured.
Based on the investigation, officers identified Thomas as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant and a search warrant for his residence.
During the search, officers recovered five firearms, several ballistic vests, and ammunition. Thomas is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous convictions.
Thomas was charged with aggravated assault and multiple weapons violations. Anyone with additional information about this case should contact Officer Hopp at 301-609-3282 ext. 0751.
On March 25, the courts ordered Thomas to be held without bond!
