Man Convicted in Student's Death

18-Year-Old Walking Home Was Caught in Drive-By Shooting

Terrance R. Martin, 18, was convicted last night of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting in January of an 18-year-old girl who was walking home from a Prince George's County high school.

A jury delivered the verdict at 10:30 p.m. It also found Martin guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the Jan. 8 drive-by shooting that killed Cherrese Richardson, 18, a student at Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale. Martin had been charged with first-degree murder.

The fatal shooting stemmed from a feud between two groups of teenagers from nearby neighborhoods, Prince George's prosecutors said during closing arguments yesterday in the trial.

Another student and a man who was driving in the area were hit by bullets and suffered non-life-threatening wounds.

Prosecutors said a key witness's sudden failure to recall details of the shooting indicated that he remains loyal to his group and didn't want to be labeled a "snitch." He is a former defendant who testified for the state in exchange for leniency.

In his closing argument, an attorney for Martin conceded that Martin fired a gun -- in self-defense, the attorney said -- but that he did not hit anyone.

Deliberations began yesterday.

Assistant State's Attorney Michael Pearson said Martin and another gunman fired 11 shots from two moving cars into a crowd of students gathered near the school.

"This wasn't haphazard," Pearson told jurors. "This was organized. Do you think it was a coincidence that there was one gun in one car and one gun in the other car?"

Defense attorney James N. Papirmeister said Martin fired into the air because he was afraid he and his friends were being attacked by the other group of teens, who were from the Ardmore neighborhood.

Prosecutors alleged that the shootings stemmed from a feud between the Ardmore group and one from the Glenarden neighborhood. During the trial, no evidence was presented to show that Richardson or the girl who was wounded, Sonja Bangura, were part of either group.

Citing eyewitness testimony, Pearson said Martin fired from behind the driver of a gold Nissan Altima. Other shots were fired from the back of a blue Buick sedan traveling ahead of the Nissan, he said.