ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A jury in Anne Arundel County has convicted a Middle River man of first-degree murder and using a firearm in a crime of violence for the 2022 drive-thru shooting death of a McDonald’s employee in Gambrills.
On Jan. 21, 2026, jurors found 24-year-old Ja’Quan Dontremique Green guilty in the killing of Britrain Marcelus Gray, a 23-year-old Odenton resident who was working inside the restaurant during an early-morning shift. The verdict was returned in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court after a seven-day trial. Judge Elizabeth Morris will schedule sentencing at a later date.
The shooting occurred shortly before 4:45 a.m. on May 13, 2022, at the McDonald’s located at 1130 Crain Highway South on Route 3. Police responding to a report of a shooting found Gray inside the restaurant’s cash booth area suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy performed the following day by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore ruled Gray’s death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound.
Prosecutors said surveillance video and forensic evidence were central to the case. Investigators recovered video footage showing a black sedan with no visible license plate and heavily tinted windows circling the exterior of the restaurant. The footage later captured a suspect parking, approaching the drive-thru window on foot, and firing three shots from a 9mm handgun at close range into the window before fleeing back to the vehicle.
Detectives noted distinctive clothing worn by the shooter, including a dark jacket with a fur-lined hood, fur-trimmed boots, and gloves with visible writing. Through social media analysis, investigators linked Green to a vehicle and clothing consistent with what was seen in the surveillance footage. Videos posted online also showed Green holding a handgun resembling the weapon used in the shooting, authorities said.
A search warrant executed at Green’s residence later led to the recovery of boots, gloves, and a jacket similar to those worn by the shooter, according to investigators.
Further evidence emerged after Green’s arrest on July 7, 2022, for an unrelated offense in Prince George’s County. At the time, he was driving a black 2001 Cadillac Catera — a relatively uncommon vehicle in Maryland — and was found carrying a handgun. Ballistics testing by the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Firearms Examination Unit determined the seized firearm was consistent with the three 9mm shell casings recovered outside the McDonald’s drive-thru window. Investigators also noted a decal on Green’s vehicle matched one visible on the car captured in the restaurant’s surveillance footage.
Following the verdict, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess expressed sympathy for the victim’s family, who attended the trial.
“My heart breaks for the family of Mr. Gray, as they’ve had to relive the trauma of this murder over the past seven days,” Leitess said. “I am glad that we were able to deliver justice for Britrain and his family.”
She described the killing as a targeted and senseless act, noting Gray was simply doing his job at the time of the shooting. Leitess also praised the work of the Anne Arundel County Police Department and lead investigator Detective Juan Honesto for what she called a thorough investigation.
The state was represented at trial by Leitess and Assistant State’s Attorneys Glen Neubauer and Murphy Hartford. The investigation was conducted by the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Homicide Unit.
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