Overview
- A judge ordered Kamar Thompson to serve 25 years in prison, with the first five years not eligible for parole under Maryland gun laws.
- The court exceeded the state’s 8–15 year guideline range for these charges, citing the violent attempted robbery at Mark McKenzie’s home and the harm that followed.
- Thompson pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and a firearm charge, while shooter Kai Wilson admitted to attempted second-degree murder and a firearm charge and awaits sentencing in July.
- Prosecutors said security cameras captured Wilson with a semiautomatic handgun equipped with a laser and later showed Thompson pulling that gun from a bag inside Wilson’s home.
- McKenzie remains in recovery after multiple surgeries, and neighbors voiced mixed views on whether a 25-year term ensures safety or undercuts chances to rehabilitate teens who were 15 and 16 at the time.