Emmanuel Simmonds, 16, of Gaithersburg, pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree murder in the shooting death of Tenneson Vaughn Leslie, Jr., who was 18 years old.
He will be sentenced on June 28, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Simmonds’ time in prison will be capped at 40 years, and he will be recommended to be admitted to the Patuxent Youthful Offenders program while incarcerated.
Simmonds also pleaded guilty to use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
The May 18 shooting occurred at the Wheaton Metro Station. According to State’s Attorney’s Office, two groups who did not know each other began a physical argument while on the escalator.
Simmonds then shot Leslie Jr., of Greenbelt, in the back of the head as the victim and his associates were running away from Simmonds’ group, according to the State’s Attorney’s office.
Emmanuel Simmonds
Tenneson Vaughn Leslie, Jr.
A co-defendant, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, is being prosecuted in juvenile court. He originally was charged with accessory after the fact for his role in Leslie Jr.’s death.
“This was a shockingly brazen, callous act by a young offender. The defendant executed a young man on a crowded metro platform, not only claiming one innocent life but placing many other people at risk as there were other citizens, simply using the metro system, that easily could have been struck by a bullet,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
Montgomery County Police, Metro Transit Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue all responded to the scene, where they found an unresponsive male at the bottom of the escalator. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police reviewed video surveillance in their investigation.
Simmonds was arrested in 2022 for strong armed robbery.
