Carl Joseph Carpenter, 38, fatally shot in Lexington Park, Maryland

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Lexington Park Man Fatally Shot in Apparent Road Rage Dispute; Suspect Charged With Murder

LEXINGTON PARK, Md. (DailyKenn.com) — A 38-year-old man was killed in a shooting stemming from a heated argument over a parked vehicle outside a home in this Southern Maryland community, authorities said.

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Carl Joseph Carpenter, of Lexington Park's California neighborhood, was shot multiple times shortly before 6:40 p.m. Monday in the 21000 block of Bellevue Court. Deputies from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of an assault in progress and arrived to find Carpenter unresponsive in a gravel bed beside a driveway, where he was pronounced dead at the scene despite lifesaving efforts by emergency responders.

Witnesses told investigators that Carpenter had arrived at the residence to pick up another person for a ride to work when the confrontation erupted. The dispute began when Carpenter asked the property's resident to move his car, which was blocking access. The argument quickly escalated, with the two men exchanging words before the resident retrieved a handgun from inside the home.

Surveillance video captured the resident's wife handing him the loaded firearm moments before the shooting. Carpenter, who was unarmed, was struck several times in the torso and arms. An unloaded .38-caliber Kimber 1911 pistol registered to him was recovered nearby but had not been fired.

David Scott Jones, 58, of Lexington Park, was arrested at the scene without incident and charged with first- and second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and other related offenses. He is being held without bond at the St. Mary's County Detention Center. Court documents indicate Jones claimed self-defense, but investigators noted no evidence that Carpenter posed an imminent threat.

The incident has stunned neighbors in the quiet residential area, where such violence is rare. "It's heartbreaking — a simple misunderstanding turned deadly," one longtime resident said. The sheriff's office is urging anyone with additional information to come forward as the investigation continues.

Sources