UPDATE: Second Defendant in 2019 Lusby Shooting Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

UPDATE 7/28/2021: Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey announced that John Michael Anderson Wood, 21, of Lusby, has been sentenced for his role in a 2019 shooting that left a woman seriously injured.

Wood received a total of 14 years active incarceration for felony first degree assault, use of a handgun, and related charges. He will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least half of his sentence.

In October 2019, Wood and co-defendant Dru Sultzaberger were at a party when Sultzaberger became involved in an altercation. They left, armed themselves with handguns, and drove to the victim’s residence. They fired several shots into the victim’s vehicle, one of which struck the victim in the face. Fortunately, she survived her injuries.

Sultzaberger previously pleaded guilty and received 17 years imprisonment. State’s Attorney Harvey wishes to commend Assistant State’s Attorney Lee Ann Bell and Detective Ted Yates of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding work on this case.

UPDATE 3/24/2021: John Michael Anderson Wood, 19, of Lusby, pleaded guilty on March 22, 2021, to 5 charges in connection with an October, 2019, shooting incident.  The charges were first degree assault, use of a handgun in a crime of violence, possession of a regulated firearm under age 21, and 2 counts of reckless endangerment.  The charges carry a maximum penalty of 60 years’ incarceration.

Wood was the co-defendant of Dru M. Sultzaberger.  Wood and Sultzaberger became involved in a dispute over marijuana at a party.  They armed themselves with handguns, drove to the victim’s residence in Lusby, and fired several shots into the victim’s car, one of which struck her in the face.

Sultzaberger pleaded guilty and received 17 years’ incarceration in January, 2021. Wood’s sentencing hearing is set for April 23, 2021.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Lee Ann Bell.

10/28/2019: On Sunday, October 27, 2019 shortly after 3:15 a.m., deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting along Golden West Way in Lusby.

Police arrived on scene and reported that an 18-year-old female had been shot. The victim was located on Tahoe Trail, Deputies that responded to the victim’s location learned that shooting took place in front of the victim’s residence on Golden West Way, in Lusby.

Two 18-year-old witnesses, a male and a female were with the victim in a vehicle at the time of the shooting.

The victim was transported by ambulance to Prince George’s Hospital with serious, life threatening injuries. Just prior to receiving treatment where she could no longer speak, the victim told police that she believed one of the shooters was Dru.

A crime scene investigation was conducted, and they located 11 discharged shell casings on the roadway of Golden West Way. They recovered six spent brass 9mm casings and five spent .40 caliber shell casings.

Police interviewed the male witness who said that that he picked up the victim and the female witness in his vehicle on Golden West Way on Saturday night at approximately 9 or 10 p.m., and they went to a Halloween party on Sixes Road, in Prince Frederick. The male witness stated that nothing happened at this party, however, he said a white male in his early 20’s named, “Dru,” was at this party. He went on to say that he had previously been at a party with Dru approximately two months ago, and Dru displayed a pistol and stated that he carried it for protection. The witness said he knows that Dru as “Scoob,” and “Scooby Dru.” He said Dru’s last name is complicated and starts with an “S” and has a “z” in it.

The male witness stated that he, and the two females stayed at the party for 3 to 4 hours, and they returned to the victim’s residence on Golden West Way. He stated that the three of them were seated in his vehicle parked in front of this residence for approximately 45 minutes to smoke marijuana. The victim said he saw a light-colored Hyundai passenger car drive by his vehicle slowly. The vehicle turned its lights off and turned down a dead-end street within view of his vehicle. Minutes later, the male witness observed what he believed to be two males approximately 5 yards away. They had approached his vehicle from the direction of which the light-colored Hyundai passenger car parked. One of these individuals was wearing a white shirt, and the other was wearing a black shirt. At least one of these suspects produced a handgun and began firing rounds into his vehicle. The witness stated he ducked, started the vehicle and fled the scene to the safety of friend’s residence, not near the scene. The witness said that the female victim had been shot in the mouth and was bleeding profusely. He told police he believes the motive of the shooting to be related to activity at Golden West Way. He did not believe that he, or the two females were the intended targets.

Police spoke with the female witness who corroborated the male witnesses account of the events but was able to provide further descriptions about the suspects and suspect vehicle. She advised that she was seated in the backseat of the car, and the victim was seated in the front passenger seat, and the male witness was seated in the driver seat. She said she witnessed a light colored (grey, white, or silver) Hyundai passenger vehicle pass their parked vehicle very slowly. She advised that vehicle was a newer model, with the new style of Maryland tags. She witnessed this vehicle turn its lights off after passing, and turn down a short, dead end street within their view. Minutes later, two males began approaching the vehicle on foot from the direction in which the suspect vehicle parked. She described one suspect as a male in a plain black shirt and described the second suspect as a male wearing a plain white shirt. Both suspects were wearing zip up hooded sweatshirts, one was gray and the other black. She could not recall which suspects were wearing which sweatshirt. She watched as they approached and ducked down as one or both subjects began firing at them. After the shooting stopped, she observed the victim bleeding from the mouth.

The shooting victim was driven to a friend’s residence on Tahoe Trail, where a resident at the house called the police.

Police conducted an interview with the victim’s 19-year-old brother. He was uncooperative during his interview and admitted to being at the party on Sixes Road earlier that evening and having a verbal altercation with Dru at the party. He described Dru as a thin, white male, in his 20’s with a beard. The brother said he returned home around the same time as the victim and went to bed inside the residence.

While in a vehicle on the way to the hospital, the victim’s brother told family members that he was at the party at Sixes Road and got into an argument with Dru. During the argument, Dru pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. The brother stated that he told Dru, “If you are going to pull it out and point it at me, pull the trigger.” At that point, he told his mother that Dru pointed the gun in the air and fired one round.

Police spoke to another witness who advised that the victim’s brother knows more about the incident than he will tell the police. During the interview, the witness received a phone call from the victim’s brother and placed the phone call on speaker phone so that a Detective could hear his statements. During this conversation, the Detective heard the victim’s brother say that he was at the party on Sixes Road. While at the party, he and Dru began to argue and postured to physically fight. Before they fought, a friend of pulled him away and told him “that man has a gun.” As his friend pulled him away, he heard a gunshot from the area where he and Dru had confronted each other.

Police located an additional witness that attended the party at Sixes Road, and they confirmed that there was an altercation that took place at this party that he did not personally witness. However, he was aware the altercation was going on from the noise. He advised this altercation ended when a single gunshot was fired in the area where the altercation was taking place. He identified Dru as Dru Michael Sultzaberger and confirmed that he was at the party on Sixes Road.

At approximately 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Bureau responded to Sultzaberger’s residence pending the issuance of a search and seizure warrant. Detectives observed two vehicles in the parked in the driveway, a jeep and a silver Hyundai Sonata. At approximately 11:00 a.m, Detectives observed the Jeep occupied by a white male leaving the address and conducted a stop of this vehicle away from the residence in order to avoid alerting any other occupants at this residence. The driver of this Jeep was identified as John Michael Anderson Wood. Wood was wearing a black zip up sweatshirt and with a plain white tank top underneath. It was noted that this was the same description of clothing as provided by the victims. Wood was transported to the Sheriff’s Office to conduct a recorded interview. Wood confessed to going to the victim’s residence. He admitted to shooting at the vehicle with a .40 caliber Glock. He claimed to have fired 9 rounds, intending to shoot at the vehicle he believed to be associated with the victim’s brother. He stated that he knows of the victim and did not intend for her to get shot. After the incident, he immediately returned to Dru Sultzaberger’s residence. Wood refused to incriminate Sultzaberger, stating that Dru can speak to his part for himself.

At approximately 12:15 p.m., Detectives that were observing Sultzaberger’s residence observed Dru Sultzaberger leaving the front door of the residence. He was seen leaving the residence, and walking towards a wood line carrying a black duffle bag. Sultzaberger was arrested without incident. A search of the duffle bag revealed two loaded Glock handguns. One of the handguns was a Glock .40 caliber, loaded with silver .40 caliber ammunition. The other was a Glock 9mm loaded with 9mm brass ammunition. The firearms and ammunition were both consistent with the evidence recovered on the scene.

Sultzaberger was transported to the Sheriff’s Office to conduct an interview. During the interview, Sultzaberger confessed to bringing his Glock 9mm to the party on Sixes Rd. He stated he felt threatened by the victim’s brother, who threatened him and surrounded him with multiple other individuals. Sultzaberger admits to brandishing the gun and firing one round into the grass in front of him in order to protect himself. Sultzaberger left the party with John Wood in his mother’s silver Hyundai. Sultzaberger stated they both went back to his house, where they heard from other members at the party that a friend that defended Sultzaberger was assaulted after they left. Sultzaberger became so upset that he and John Wood traveled to the victim’s residence. Sultzaberger knew where it was through prior interactions. Sultzaberger stated that they drove past the residence, turned their lights off, and parked on a nearby side street. They saw the vehicle, which he believed belonged to the victim’s brother or one of his friends and fired what he believed to be 5 rounds with his Glock 9mm. Sultzaberger denies knowledge that the vehicle was occupied. Sultzaberger stated his intent was to “f##k up his car.” Sultzaberger returned to his residence with John Wood. Sultzaberger received information on Snap Chat that police were staged at Patuxent High School and he became scared. He packed ammunition, and both guns in a duffle bag, and left his residence on foot with the intent to get rid of the evidence. After leaving his residence on foot, he was encountered by deputies and was arrested with the duffle bag in hand. Both Sultzaberger and Wood are age 19, under the age of 21, and are prohibited from possessing the handguns used in this crime.

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On Sunday, October 27, 2019 shortly after 3:00 a.m., members of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau responded to report of a shooting along Golden West Way in Lusby.

Units arrived on scene to discover an 18-year-old female victim that had been struck by a gunshot round while sitting in a parked vehicle.

The female victim was transported by ground to University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center where she remains in stable condition.

Preliminary investigation revealed that two adult males shot the victim and were subsequently arrested shortly thereafter.

The suspects have been identified as John Michael Anderson Wood, 19, and Dru Michael Sultzaberger, 19, both of Lusby.

Both suspects have been charged with Attempted 1st Degree Murder, Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Assault- First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony and Reckless Endangerment and are being held without bond.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact Detective Ted Yates at (410) 535-2800 ext. 2161 or by email at [email protected].

Sheriff Evans stated, “The citizens of Calvert County should be proud of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, particularly the Criminal Investigative Bureau and detectives that solved this case, they are second to none.”

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