LARGO, Md. — The man who police say shot and killed a community activist and artist outside a popular Prince George’s County restaurant on Saturday has been arrested.
"Thank God," cousin, Rico Scott said. "A breathe of relief."
Prince George’s County Police announced Tuesday that they had arrested 35-year-old Terrelle Bailey in the death of 33-year-old Cornelius McDonald.
"It kind of like puts the community also at rest, that you got a suspect off the street. For me, it kind of like gives me that indication that the community does stick together in a certain sense," Scott said.
According to police, McDonald and Bailey did not know each other. They were both customers at the restaurant and got into an argument before the shooting. Some time later, police say Bailey shot McDonald around 12:45 a.m. outside the business on the 9600 block of Lottsford Court in the area of Largo.
Court documents say officers working security at Jasper’s escorted Bailey out after an argument inside. Several sources tell WUSA 9 McDonald initially tried to break up a fight inside Jaspers. Later, after McDonald paid his bill and left, Bailey allegedly followed him outside, continued the argument, and then shot McDonald multiple times.
“I hope that he’s seriously having a thought of ‘I shouldn’t have did that'," Scott said.
Police say tips from witnesses and surveillance video helped them secure an arrest warrant.
"For the people that were even in Jaspers at the time that it happened, to whoever spoke up, whoever gave the tips to crime solvers, whoever just wrote a statement, thank you," Scott said.
WUSA 9 has heard several concerns and people frustrated with Jaspers the restaurant, the family says their not the ones to blame.
“Nobody who works in here did that so it’s not the fault of Jaspers," Scott said. "It’s our fault, the fault of us, us the people that thinking stuff like this is okay and it’s not.”
Now the focus is on McDonald’s legacy and preventing the type of violence that took his own life...
“He’s somebody that you would love to know and it’s not at all what I thought that I would ever have to go through. The violence that’s going on right now everybody needs to just stop," Scott said.
Bailey was identified as the suspect and police got a warrant for his arrest. He is now in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
He has been charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as other related charges. He will be in court Wednesday for a bonding hearing.
Anyone with information on this case who would like to speak to a Homicide Unit detective may call 301-516-2512.