Two teenagers were killed in a targeted shooting at the Mall in Columbia parking lot and bus loop on the evening of February 22, 2025. Sixteen-year-old Michael Robertson was pronounced dead at the scene; 15-year-old Blake McCray, a ninth-grade student at Oakland Mills High School, was critically injured, taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, and succumbed to his injuries several days later. Blake was remembered by his kindergarten teacher as a joyful child whose smile brightened the classroom; the school principal notified students and families of his death and the community’s loss.

Howard County Police arrested 18-year-old Emmetson Zeah shortly after the shooting. Zeah was on home detention at the time, wearing a GPS ankle monitor that investigators say tracked him to the scene. He was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder; prosecutors planned to amend charges after Blake’s death. Zeah was held without bail, and he had a separate seven-year sentence for a prior home invasion and assault. Investigators say the victims were believed to have been targeted, though no clear motive has been released.

If anyone knew Blake, his routines, or saw activity at the mall area on February 22, please share information that could help clarify what happened.