Montgomery County police officers fatally shot a man at a busy Gaithersburg shopping center Sunday evening after a 911 caller reported him displaying and loading a gun at a bus stop.
The shooting happened at the Montgomery Village Crossing Shopping Center on Lost Knife Road shortly before 7 p.m., according to the Montgomery County Police Department. Officers from both MCPD and the Gaithersburg City Department of Police responded to the scene.
Capt. Cody Fields of MCPD said officers located the man and worked to clear the crowded parking lot before approaching him.
"Several officers from both Montgomery County police and from the Gaithersburg City Department of Police fired on the suspect," Fields said.
The department said the man "took actions" that caused officers to discharge their weapons but did not specify what those actions were. Police recovered a handgun at the scene.
No officers or bystanders were injured.
The man's name has not been released. Police identified him only as an adult male.
Investigation handed to state
The Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division has taken over the case.
IID investigations can take several weeks to several months, according to the division's 2025 annual report.
The shopping center is a major retail hub along Lost Knife Road in Gaithersburg. Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Montgomery County Police Department's non-emergency line at 301-279-8000 or submit anonymous tips through Crime Solvers of Montgomery County.
