A 68-year-old Maryland man with an alleged criminal history stretching back nearly four decades — including an unconfirmed first-degree murder charge — now faces 66 counts after a multi-location shooting and carjacking rampage that left residents of Prince George’s County asking a deeply uncomfortable question: how was he still on the street?
A Friday Afternoon Rampage Across Five Locations
According to police, the incident began around 2:30 p.m. on a Friday when Simpson was first observed pointing a long gun from a car window in College Park, where shots were fired but no one was injured. The spree then moved to Riverdale Road, where he allegedly fired at a vehicle and injured a 64-year-old driver with head lacerations from shattered glass — injuries described as non-life-threatening. Within minutes, the situation escalated further. [1]
Police say Simpson then crashed his sport utility vehicle at 67th Avenue and Patterson Street, overturning it, before carjacking a Nissan and shooting at least four people. One man was critically injured but is expected to survive. The incident ended when an off-duty officer nearby called for backup and helped apprehend Simpson. Investigators have since requested public assistance for any surveillance footage or other evidence connected to the five reported scenes. [1]
Sixty-Six Charges and a Criminal Past That Raises Hard Questions
Simpson now faces 66 charges, though reporting has not broken down which specific acts correspond to which individual counts — leaving open questions about whether charges are duplicative, attempt-based, weapon-specific, or victim-specific. What has drawn particular attention is his alleged prior record. Court documents uncovered by FOX 5, though explicitly not officially confirmed by police, indicate Simpson may have faced a first-degree murder charge approximately 39 years ago, along with charges for robbery with a deadly weapon, assault with intent to murder, rape, and robbery. [1]
That history, if accurate, puts a spotlight on a recurring frustration shared across the political spectrum: the criminal justice system’s apparent inability — or unwillingness — to keep violent repeat offenders off the streets. Whether the system failed through lenient sentencing, early release, or bureaucratic breakdown remains unclear from the available record. What is clear is that a 68-year-old man allegedly carried out a multi-scene armed rampage in broad daylight, and the public deserves a full accounting of how that became possible. [6]
What the Public Record Still Doesn’t Tell Us
The case, as it stands in the public domain, rests almost entirely on police accounts relayed through media summaries. No charging affidavit, probable-cause statement, or arrest warrant has been made publicly available. The prior criminal history referenced by FOX 5 remains officially unconfirmed by law enforcement. Police were still actively seeking outside surveillance footage at the time of reporting, signaling that the evidentiary record presented to the public was incomplete. These are not minor gaps — they are the foundation of a fair legal process. [1]
None of this means Simpson is innocent. The on-scene apprehension by an off-duty officer, the reported recovery of an AR-15-style rifle, and the multiple victim accounts paint a serious picture. But both conservatives frustrated with a justice system that seems to recycle violent offenders and liberals concerned about due process and institutional accountability have reason to demand more transparency here. The public is owed the charging documents, the body camera footage, the ballistics reports, and a clear explanation of how a man with this alleged background was free to carry out what police describe as a one-man rampage across five locations on a Friday afternoon. That explanation hasn’t arrived yet.
Sources:
[1] YouTube – Man accused of Prince George’s County shooting spree …
[6] YouTube – Prince George’s County man charged in one-man …