Shotgun blasts shattered the quiet of a federal parking lot on April 9, 2015, when Ronald Anderson, 48, of Suitland, Maryland, turned a kidnapping chase into a deadly ambush at the U.S. Census Bureau building on Silver Hill Road. Armed with a .45 caliber pistol, Anderson allegedly opened fire after a high-speed pursuit, killing one armed security officer and attempting to murder another in cold blood—capping a rampage that began with the abduction of a victim in Washington, D.C.
The federal indictment unsealed today details a trail of violence. Anderson allegedly abducted Victim One in D.C. and forced them into his vehicle before speeding into Maryland. When the victim escaped into a Honda CRV driven by an acquaintance, Anderson gave chase at breakneck speed, tailing the fleeing car to the federal facility. The CRV crashed into a light pole near two Federal Protective Service officers—moments before Anderson opened fire.
According to court documents, Anderson stopped his vehicle behind the wrecked CRV and immediately exchanged gunfire with the officers. One officer was fatally shot; the second was targeted in a failed attempt on his life. The scene, cordoned off in chaos, revealed shell casings, bullet-riddled vehicles, and blood—a grim tableau of a federal security post turned into a war zone by a man prohibited from owning a firearm.
Anderson fled but didn’t get far. Metropolitan Police Department officers intercepted him in D.C. during a violent pursuit that erupted into a gunfight. He fired repeatedly at officers; one MPD officer was struck in the leg. Anderson was shot multiple times, apprehended, and hospitalized. A .45 caliber pistol was recovered from his vehicle—evidence tying him directly to the shooting spree.
The indictment charges Ronald Anderson, 48, of Suitland, with kidnapping, murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, causing death by firearm in a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. Anderson remains hospitalized and is currently detained on related charges in D.C. Superior Court. No initial federal appearance has been scheduled.
An indictment is not a conviction. Ronald Anderson is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation was led by the FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department, MPD, and the Federal Protective Service, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Bryan E. Foreman are prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the agencies for their relentless pursuit of justice in one of Maryland’s most violent federal attacks in recent years.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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