WASHINGTON 鈥� The two Germantown teenagers fatally shot in Montgomery Village hours before they were to graduate from high school were the targets of 鈥渕ultiple鈥� gunshots, police said Wednesday.
Capt. Paul Starks also told reporters that the car with Northwest High School students Shadi Adi Najjar, 17, and Artem Ziberov, 18, inside was running when they were shot at about 10:45 p.m. Monday in the 8200 block of Gallery Court. Starks added that Najjar was behind the wheel.
He wouldn鈥檛 say whether the two were targeted, or what they were doing before the shooting.
鈥淚nvestigators aren鈥檛 willing right now to put a label on this investigation,鈥� he said.
Starks said 鈥渨e鈥檙e getting a lot of tips, but we still need more.鈥� A neighbor sent in a surveillance video on which the shots could be heard, Starks said, and added that people shouldn鈥檛 worry that a tip is too small.
鈥淢any people may have something [and] don鈥檛 want to bother us. We鈥檙e asking to be bothered. And let us put the value on what they鈥檙e giving us,鈥� he said.
Counselors were on hand Wednesday at Northwest High School to help students deal with the deaths.
At Tuesday鈥檚 graduation, Northwest High School Principal Jimmy D鈥橝ndrea said 鈥淲e have heavy hearts鈥� after the two deaths, as well as that of student Nigel Hendrickson earlier this year.
D鈥橝ndrea wrote in a letter to parents that Najjar and Ziberov 鈥渨ere both excellent students who had a positive impact on those around them, and they will be greatly missed.鈥�
The two were the eighth and ninth homicides in Montgomery County this year. Starks called the case 鈥渁 horrible tragedy鈥� and added that 鈥渨e鈥檙e not pulling any punches; we鈥檙e throwing it all at it.鈥�
Detectives urge anyone who may have information to contact the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070. For those who wish to remain anonymous, Crime Solvers of Montgomery County is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to arrests. Submit a tip to Montgomery County Crime Solvers on their聽. Tipsters can also call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Below is a map of the area where the victims were found.
草莓传媒’s Nick Iannelli and Colleen Kelleher contributed to this report.
