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John Tomlinson was sentenced at the Circuit Court for Montgomery County to 30 years in prison with all but 15 of them suspended after shooting at a man and his vehicle during an altercation that was captured on camera by a nearby parked car, according to Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy.
Tomlinson pleaded guilty to charges of attempted second-degree murder and prohibited person in possession of a firearm in August.
Shortly before 2:15 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2021, McCarthy said that Tomlinson saw a driver collide with his friend’s vehicle parked on Manor Lane, and as his friend engaged in an altercation with the driver, Tomlinson ran down the street, retrieved a handgun from another vehicle and then returned to the scene.
Tomlinson fired nine gunshots, hitting the vehicle, street signs, and at least five businesses on Bonifant Street, though “miraculously no one was injured,” McCarthy said.
The entire incident was captured on video by a Tesla that was parked nearby, which can be viewed above.
That video, coupled with surveillance camera video from the area allowed investigators to identify Tomlinson as the shooter, and when he was arrested, police located the firearm that was used in the incident.
"When we have a case like this where someone came forward to share evidence and enabled us to hold the defendant accountable for putting lives in danger, it’s a great message,” McCarthy said. "We thank the owner of the Tesla for cooperating with law enforcement and helping to make the community safer.”
In addition to his prison term, Tomlinson was sentenced by a judge to five years of post-release supervision, and he won’t be eligible for parole for at least 10 years.
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