Teen Arrested in Connection to Killing of DoorDash Driver, Mom of Three
Baltimore Police on Wednesday arrested a teenager in connection to the fatal January shooting of a DoorDash driver and mother of three.
Law enforcement said the 16-year-old suspect turned himself into police at their headquarters around 12:30 a.m. local time. The name of the minor has not been released but he is facing a charge of first-degree murder. Information on a second teen suspect has not been made available.
The DoorDash driver, Cheryl McCormack, 51, was with a male friend making deliveries around 2 a.m. when she ran out of gas. As the pair left to get gas, they were approached by two people with the intention of robbing them, police say.
"It [the car] ran out of gas. As he [McCormack's friend] was walking up the road, he was accosted by two individuals. They tried to take my wife's wallet and her purse. She wouldn't give it up and they shot her," McCormack's husband told WJZ.
Medics pronounced McCormack dead at the scene, but her friend survived the incident. The police described the crime as a "robbery gone bad," the Baltimore Sun reported.
Surveillance video from a nearby business showed the two teens suspected in the killing, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the teens' identities.
Homicide detectives in the case were ultimately able to identify the shooter after interviewing witnesses and reviewing camera footage in the area, police said.
"To walk up to somebody at that time of night, rob them, pull a gun on them for no reason and shoot them, that's senseless," McCormack previously said outside his home, according to the Baltimore Sun. "It's senseless, and it should be curbed."
DoorDash released a statement following McCormack's death, saying, "We are deeply saddened by this senseless attack and tragic loss of life. Our thoughts are with Ms. McCormack's loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time."
Following the shooting, ATF Baltimore Acting Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr. said city residents should not have to "live with the constant fear that a vulnerable moment will cost them their life," WJZ reported.
Baltimore has one of the highest murder rates in the country. Since 2015, the city has continuously reported more than 300 homicides every year. In 2021, there were 337 reported homicides, according to data from the Baltimore Police Department.
Within the first month of 2022, there were more than 1,800 crimes reported in Baltimore. Between January 1 and February 2, there were 978 reports of property crime, 248 reports of burglary, 225 reports of aggravated assaults, and 203 robberies. The city also reported 32 homicides and 52 shootings within those 31 days, according to the data.
2/23/22, 6:34 p.m.: This story has been updated with more information on the case and Baltimore's crime rate.
