She walked in, pulled a gun, and shot the clerk on camera, but police still can’t find her

Howard County police are searching for a suspect who shot a gas station employee during an attempted robbery last week. As detailed by Fox News and CBS News Baltimore, authorities released surveillance footage of the incident on Monday, April 21, 2026, and increased the reward for information leading to an arrest from $1,000 to $2,500.

The shooting took place on Friday, April 17, 2026, at a Shell gas station in the 7200 block of Cradlerock Way in Columbia, Maryland. Police received a call at 7:43 PM and arrived to find an adult male employee with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he remained in serious condition as of Monday.

Surveillance footage released by the department shows a woman holding a firearm and appearing to speak to the clerk before opening fire. No audio accompanies the video. Investigators believe the incident began as an attempted robbery, and no other individuals were injured.

Police are still searching for a woman caught clearly on camera

Detectives are working to identify the woman seen in the recordings, and the department has shared both video and still images of the person of interest. Local residents have voiced concern about the incident given its proximity to their daily routines. Lulu Fulda, a Maryland resident, said she wants “to live in a safe place and obviously want everyone to feel safe where they work or where they go to get gas.” Shah Davoud, who lives nearby, called it “kind of scary” because the Shell station is his routine stop.

Amid other high-profile criminal cases drawing public attention, including a California fire captain’s life sentence for killing his fiancee and her son, the Howard County case has added to community concerns about workplace safety. Preliminary findings suggest the suspect acted alone during the attempted robbery.

The department is urging anyone with information to call 911, contact the tip line at 410-313-STOP, or email [email protected]. Investigators noted that surveillance footage captured someone who also submitted a fraudulent insurance claim caught on video in a separate recent case, underscoring how useful camera evidence has become in criminal investigations. The $2,500 reward remains available for any tip that leads to an arrest.