Rodgers Forge community relieved after surveillance footage leads to arrest of teens responsible for shooting

TOWSON -- The arrest of two teens has put the community of Rodgers Forge at ease after one of their neighbors was shot behind his own home last month.

Baltimore County Police announced they arrested a 15-year-old Wednesday, and a 16-year-old Thursday in connection to the shooting of Mark McKenzie, 50. Both teens have been charged as adults, facing first-degree attempted murder, assault and guns charges.

Neighbors say the shooting has certainly shaken them, but also made them stronger as a whole.

Search for suspects

Officers found McKenzie shot in the alley behind his home on the 400 block of Dunkirk Road on Sept. 13. Charging documents say police were able to see what lead up to the shooting thanks to surveillance cameras posted up in the alley.

The footage showed the 15-year-old suspect approached McKenzie as he was cleaning out the back of his car. McKenzie looked over in time to see the suspect pull out a gun.

Things got physical, and during that altercation, the suspect fired at McKenzie. Immediately after, that teen ran out to a white Kia Sportage, which sped off.

Investigators began to look at other cases, finding an armed robbery that occurred on a bus in Baltimore City on Sept. 11. Looking at the evidence, investigators were able to determine the 15-year-old suspect was involved in this case, too.

"Detectives observed that one of the two suspects from the armed robbery was wearing a sweatshirt with the same distinctive markings as that of the suspect from the attempted murder," the charging document reads.

Soon, investigators also identified a 16-year-old as not only the getaway driver in Rodgers Forge, but also the second suspect in the armed robbery on the bus.

Charging documents also show investigators found more surveillance camera footage showing the suspects pouring bleach on the getaway car not long after the shooting on Dunkirk Road.

Also, during the bus armed robbery, the suspect made the victim pay a CashApp account, which helped investigators find one of the 15-year-old's parents.

Neighbors grateful for arrests

While neighbors tell WJZ last month's shooting is not enough to shake their love for their home, it was enough to shake their sense of security.

"I think many of us are getting more Ring cameras and things, eyes on the street," said Annie Darrow, who's lived in the neighborhood for seven years. "Just to help protect, God forbid, there's anything else that might happen down the road."

When police announced the suspects' arrests and how old they were, it was eye-opening for some.

"When I heard it was a 15-year-old child that did the shooting, that totally upset me. I don't like to hear that because I have grandchildren around that age and I would hope they would never do anything like that," said Helen Alcarese of Towson.

McKenzie is still recovering in the hospital, according to police. A GoFundMe made to support him and his recovery raised more than $130,000 last month.