Murder suspect had house full of guns, may have planned mass shooting, Maryland cops say
Police solving a murder investigation in Maryland say they may have prevented a mass shooting.
Joshua David Eckenrode, 19, of Thurmont was arrested this week on accusations he killed former classmate Curtis Mason Smith, a statement from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said. But detectives say they uncovered much more than they expected through their investigation, including several guns, explosive materials, and plans to carry out mass murder.
Executing a search warrant on Eckenrode’s home, police found three live explosives, eight guns — including an AR-15 — and a written apology to his family for “having to go out this way,” according to charging documents.
Eckenrode had also drawn up a “plan of action” outlining an attack, the documents say.
“Our detectives and deputies, along with officers from the Frederick Police Department, have been working around the clock to solve this murder,” Lt. Andy Crone, FCSO Criminal Investigations commander said in a statement Wednesday.
Curtis Mason Smith, also 19, went missing earlier this month before his body was found in a car Sunday, with a 9mm bullet wound to the head, outlets report. The murder investigation led authorities to Eckenrode, a former classmate of Smith’s.
“These professionals worked every lead, tip, and call they received and through their investigative efforts this person was quickly identified and detained,” Crone said.
After uncovering Eckenrode’s cache of weapons, documents show police believe had they not closed in on him in time, Smith may have only been Eckenrode’s first victim — and far from his last.
Evidence suggests Eckenrode was “possibly intending to carry out a mass shooting and/or mass casualty event,” according to charging documents.
In the murder case, Eckenrode and Smith had been discussing a vehicle sale for several weeks, with Eckenrode offering to buy Smith’s current car if he were to buy a new one, documents show.
A family member told police that Smith had recently acquired a substantial amount of money.
Outside the apartment where Eckenrode stayed, investigators found human blood in the driveway, and garbage bags filled with bloody towels and clothes, including a sweatshirt witnesses say Smith was wearing the day he disappeared, according to the documents.
There’s no indication that Smith was involved with Eckenrode’s planned attack, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins told WUSA.
“I don’t believe for a minute that they were involved together in any of this thing that we’re talking about such as any type of mass event,” Jenkins said. “It’s all over the county. Everybody just doesn’t know why. What was the motive, what was the reason?”
Eckenrode has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center, a sheriff’s office release said.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with useful information is encouraged to call the FCSO tip line at 301-600-4131, and reference case #21-025637.
