Documents: Man 'tried to take a life' in shooting of state trooper, Cecil County deputies with birdshot pellets

BALTIMORE - A Maryland State Trooper and two Cecil County deputies were injured over the weekend after they were shot by birdshot pellets while responding to a burglary, according to charging documents obtained by WJZ.

Those documents said a nearby homeowner told officers a home on Twin Lakes Road in Port Deposit, Maryland was being robbed.

Officers found that the front door was shattered and the home had been broken into around midnight Sunday morning.

They found in the back of the home an opened long gun case with shotgun shells. While still searching the home, more guns were found.

Officers heard a rustling noise from the wood line across the street, and as they approached the sound, a man, who was identified as Daniel Padraig Colin Donnelly, 23, from Elkton, fired two shots, according to documents.

The state trooper was shot in the right knee by a birdshot pellet from a shotgun. One Cecil County deputy was struck with numerous birdshot pellets from head to toe and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A second Cecil County deputy was struck numerous with numerous birdshot pellets to his arm, face and abdomen, documents show.

According to the documents, one deputy had 52 pieces of shrapnel in his body, while the other had five pieces of shrapnel.

Both deputies have been released from the hospital.

Birdshot pellets are designed for shooting birds. They are the smaller size of pellets. Each individual piece of shot inflicts less damage and normal pellets.

"Is anything, any place safe anymore?" Cecil County resident Rich Opp asked.

Donnelly was located at a Royal Farms  in Port Deposit.

"We're thankful the tip that came in reporting that the suspect was at that convenience store in Port Deposit because apparently he was asking customers for rides," said Maryland State Police Spokesperson Elena Russo.

Once officers made contact with Donnelly, he said "I did it"  and "I tried to take a life," documents revealed.

Officers asked if he knew where he was and what happened and Donnelly said he was at Royal Farms and "I did the shoot out," according to documents. 

While he was interviewed, according to documents, he said he was in Delaware when he decided he was going to walk to Alex's house, on Twin Lakes Road, with the intent to kill Alex, his friend from high school. 

Documents showed that, Donnelly first stopped at New Life Faith Center where he said he broke in and stole money that he believed to be around $30. 

That burglary was confirmed by officials at New Life. 

At the Twin Lakes home, Donnelly broke the front door open with a rock and, at some point realized Alex was not home, documents shared. 

Donnelly told officers he knew Alex had firearms so he located and stole a Stoeger Condor 12 Ga shotgun (approximate value of $600) and left the home. 

He then went to a neighbor's house and told them his "house had been robbed" and told them to call 911. 

Donnelly told officers that because he could not kill Alex, he would wait for police to arrive and he would shoot them with the intent to kill them. 

Donnelly then waited in the wood line in front of the home for police to arrive, according to documents, and then fired a shot at the officers with intent to kill them, according to documents. 

"I hope whoever did it really pays," said John Towers, from Virginia. "I hope the justice system takes them and shows people what really happens when you do things like this."