Salisbury Man Found Guilty of Attempted 1st Degree Murder
A Salisbury man has been found guilty by a Wicomico County jury of attempted 1st degree murder and weapons offenses after a shooting in Salisbury in October of 2021. Officials say sentencing for 24 year old Markell Purnell of Salisbury has been deferred pending a pre-sentence investigation. Purnell will remain in custody pending sentencing. Purnell was arrested after shots rang out after a fight with patrons outside Guido’s Burritos and one person was struck in the leg.
In a release from the Wicomico County State’s Attorney:
In the early morning hours of October 23, 2021, Purnell and another co-defendant became involved in an
altercation with patrons outside of Guido’s Burritos on South Salisbury Boulevard in Salisbury. In a suspected attempt to seek retaliation connected to the previous altercation, a third co-defendant provided a handgun to Purnell, who immediately fired multiple rounds at the victim, who was standing in close proximity to other patrons leaving the establishment. The victim was struck by a single bullet in his right leg. Several other vehicles were also struck by projectiles. No one else was injured and the victim was treated and released from Tidal Health hospital. Purnell was prohibited from possessing a handgun at the time of this offense because of a prior conviction.
