A 35-year-old man identified as Markus Dowdy, whom authorities have described as a validated member of the Crips street gang, has been sentenced to 42 years in prison for the fatal shooting of a man inside a Silver Spring, Maryland restaurant in November 2023. The sentencing took place on Friday, October 24, 2025, following Dowdy’s conviction in February on multiple charges, including second-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and violation of probation.
According to Montgomery County police and court records, Dowdy, who has no known permanent address, shot and killed 34-year-old Marvin Jefferson inside America’s Best Wings, located in the White Oak Shopping Center near the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and Columbia Pike. Prosecutors stated that the shooting was an act of retaliation after Jefferson allegedly punched Dowdy in the face during an altercation a week earlier.
Surveillance footage from the restaurant captured the chilling sequence of events. The video shows Dowdy entering the restaurant, confronting Jefferson, and engaging in a heated argument. After Jefferson momentarily stepped outside, Dowdy moved toward the back of the restaurant, retrieved a handgun, and waited. When Jefferson reentered, Dowdy opened fire, shooting him multiple times as the victim attempted to flee. One of the bullets shattered the restaurant’s glass window, striking a man standing outside in the head. That individual survived the injury.
The footage further depicts Jefferson crawling toward the exit while gunshots continued to ring out. In the chaos, customers and nearby shoppers scrambled for safety. Dowdy was then seen exiting the restaurant, standing over Jefferson, and pistol-whipping him before fleeing the scene.
Investigators revealed that Dowdy had a lengthy criminal history and was on supervised probation at the time of the shooting, linked to a previous firearms violation and a conspiracy charge involving participation in a criminal organization.
At sentencing, Dowdy received 25 years for second-degree murder, seven years for violating probation, five years for assault relating to the surviving victim, and an additional five years for reckless endangerment—totaling 42 years of imprisonment.
