Carltin Bayong was a 14-year-old who had just begun his first year at Eleanor Roosevelt High School when he was killed in a drive-by shooting near Cherrywood Terrace and Breezewood Court in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. The shooting, which police said at the time was thought to be targeted, took place at approximately 1:45 p.m. on October 5, 2025, and shook the community (see the October 9, 2025 News Review). On Friday, April 10, Greenbelt Police Department and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced that four teenagers have been indicted for
Bayong’s murder.
At the time of the murder, Greenbelt police believed there were multiple occupants of the car from which multiple rounds of gunshots were fired. Witnesses reported seeing a silver Infiniti with dark tinted windows and no front license plate, driving at a high rate of speed in the area. “We believe at this point that these were known individuals and that everybody involved in both shooting incidents was familiar with each other. This was not a random event,” said Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers the Monday after two fatal shootings took place during daylight hours that October weekend.
Nineteen-year-old Jamarri Ruffin, 18-year-old Abdourahmane Sylla and two male juveniles who cannot be named have been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault and use of a firearm in the commission of a violent felony, said Jackson in a press release. In Maryland, the first-degree murder charge means all four will be tried as adults. They are all being held without bond.
No further information has been released about the male juveniles who are being charged. Court records show both Ruffin and Sylla have been charged in other crimes since turning 18 (any court documents or charges related to juveniles under 18 are not public record.)
Jamarri Ruffin
Ruffin, who turned 19 in January and was 18 at the time of the murder, is a resident of Clinton. In Bayong’s death he faces first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree assault charges, as well as firearm use in a felony violent crime, second-degree assault, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, handgun in vehicle, loaded handgun in vehicle, malicious burning and theft less than $100.
Ruffin is also involved in an open case in which he is charged with attempted second-degree murder from an incident on September 23, 2025, less than two weeks before Bayong’s murder. In that case he faces charges of first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a violent felony crime, attempted theft scheme between $1,500 and $25,000, unlawfully taking a vehicle, a loaded handgun in a vehicle, rogue and vagabond, loaded handgun on his person and more. In Maryland, rogue and vagabond charges relate to breaking and entering a vehicle and/or stealing its contents or carrying the tools to do so. Ruffin was ordered to be held without bond in that case on March 3, prior to the other charges.
A third open case against Ruffin stems from October 23, 2025, over two weeks after the murder of Bayong, in which Ruffin is charged with theft between $25,000 and $100,000, having a loaded handgun on his person, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and more.
Abdourahmane Sylla
Sylla, a resident of Lanham, turned 19 this week while being held without bond for the murder of Bayong. He faces charges of first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, use of firearm in a felony violent crime, unlawfully taking a vehicle, having a loaded handgun in a vehicle, malicious burning and theft under $100.
Sylla also has open charges from an incident on October 23, 2025, the date of one of the other incidents Ruffin was involved in. Like Ruffin, he faces the charge of theft between $25,000 and $100,000 on that date, as well as unlawfully taking a vehicle and rogue and vagabond. In that case he was released on recognizance, awaiting trial.
In a third case brought by the state, and one that involves seven co-defendants, Sylla is charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute last month, on March 3. In that case he is also charged with possession of a controlled and dangerous substance (not cannabis) and use of firearm in a drug-trafficking crime. He was released on recognizance on March 4 until he was charged with Bayong’s murder and held without bond beginning March 24.
“This outcome would not have been possible without the dedication and persistence of the detectives who worked diligently throughout this investigation,” announced the Greenbelt Police Department, which also extended its appreciation to the Prince George’s County Office of the State’s Attorney, the Prince George’s County Police Department and their other law enforcement partners who provided assistance and collaboration.
Ruffin has a preliminary hearing set for April 16 and Sylla’s is scheduled for April 27.
Closing Cases
On Friday Greenbelt Police also announced three arrests, similarly including two juveniles, for the murder of Mancel Johnson, who was also fatally shot in the Franklin Park neighborhood in the fall (see page 13). Since October, detectives have conducted a thorough and methodical investigation, carefully reviewing all available evidence to identify those responsible, said the Greenbelt Police Department. “These guys have been working really hard and using all the resources available to close so many cases,” Greenbelt Police Department’s Public Information Officer Ricardo Dennis told the News Review on Tuesday.
