In September 2024, local resident Joe Berry, Jr. was shot and killed amid an ongoing dispute between he and his elderly parents.
Investigators say that state police troopers were called at around 2 p.m. to check on a reported shooting at a home in the 200 block of Mount Zoar Road, where they found Berry outside suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
According to police, they also found Berry's 80-year-old father at the scene, who declined medical treatment, and a 78-year-old woman believed to be his mother, who had to be taken by ambulance to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center for treatment of injuries that were not from gunfire.
The preliminary investigation determined that the man and homeowner had gotten into an argument, and the former attempted to break into the residence before his father retrieved a firearm and shot him.
This week, the Cecil County State's Attorney's Office announced that they would not be prosecuting the shooting, saying that a gunshot wound to his torso resulted in his death.
Authorities also determined that a nearby fire was accidental and unrelated to the shooting.
Following a comprehensive investigation, the State’s Attorney’s Office announced that no charges would be filed against the resident who fired the fatal shots, citing self-defense, and calling the shooting accidental in nature.
"After a review of the current statute, case law, and all information gathered by Maryland State Police, the Office of the State's Attorney has elected to not proceed with criminal charges," officials said.
"In these circumstances, the suspect was protecting himself and his wife and was acting in self-defense."
The decision closes the case without further legal action.
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