Salisbury Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Attempted 2nd Degree Murder
Image courtesy Wicomico County State’s Attorney
A Salisbury man has been sentenced for attempted 2nd degree murder. Court officials say 20 year old Semaj Ames pleaded guilty in May to attempted 2nd degree murder, 1st degree assault and a firearms offense – he was sentenced on Friday by Circuit Court for Wicomico County Administrative Judge S. James Sarbanes to 50 years in prison, suspending all but 25 years in the the Division of Corrections.
According to court records, on July 20, 2025 after a conflict involving Ames, his girlfriend and the father of the girlfriend’s child, Ames and the girlfriend drove to a Mohawk Avenue residence and fired eight gunshots at the house – they left the scene. An hour later they drove the location of Ames’s child’s mother on East Lincoln Street where they got into a verbal altercation and Ames pulled his firearm for the second time and fired – missing his intended target, but striking a female standing nearby. She was treated for injuries at TidalHealth. Ames left the scene and was eventually located in Georgia and extradited back to Maryland.
Additional information from the Wicomico County States Attorney:
Ames fled the scene and enlisted family members to hide evidence of his crimes and transport him to Baltimore. Ames then fled
to the State of Georgia where he was ultimately located by law enforcement and extradited to Maryland.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney (SA) Jamie L. Dykes stated, “Gun violence does not end after the trigger is pulled. It destroys the lives of victims and their families and leaves a trail of community destruction in its wake. My Office remains steadfast in its commitment to hold those who perpetrate acts of gun violence fully accountable under the law.”
SA Dykes commended the members of the Salisbury Police Department (SPD) and the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) for their quick response and diligent work in the investigation. Specifically, SA Dykes thanked Detective D. Fairman of SPD and Detective T. Gilmore of WCSO for their tireless efforts throughout the investigation. SA Dykes also commended Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Stamnas for her advocacy and prosecution in this case.