A 17-year-old is the fifth person to be arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a teen in Howard County, according to police.

Jemik Parker, 17, was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 15, about four months after the murder of 17-year-old Lance Carrington in Columbia, Maryland , Howard County Police said.

Parker is being charged as an adult as police suspect he was the shooter.

Five charged for killing teen in Howard County

Carrington was found dead in the driver's seat of a car on Jan. 15 in the 6000 block of Helen Dorsey Way. A loaded handgun was found at the scene.

An investigation revealed that a group of people planned to rob Carrington of a gun.

In February, 18-year-old Janae Baker, 18-year-old Kendall Stagg and 19-year-old Charles Epperson Jr. were arrested and charged with murder for Carrington's death. A fourth person, 20-year-old Jeremiah Robinson, was arrested in March.

Police said Baker was in the car with Carrington when Parker, Stagg and Epperson Jr. approached. According to officers, Parker shot Carrington, and the group fled the scene.

Crime in Howard County

The homicide rate in Howard County rose by 100% in the past year, with five cases reported in 2023 and 10 cases reported in 2024, according to data from police.

Instances of weapons offenses increased by 8.5%, with 141 cases reported in 2023 and 153 reported in 2024, data shows.

According to police, cases of violent crime involving juveniles have also increased.

"While the total number of homicides in Howard County remains low, and many are sadly domestic in nature, we have seen a number of recent incidents of violence involving juveniles," said Police Chief Gregory Der.

Some of those crimes have led to deadly outcomes.

On May 10, a woman died after a crash involving juveniles in a stolen car.

One of the minors, a 16-year-old from Laurel, is facing felony charges for the crash.

In early April, the county launched a new council aimed at preventing youth crime , as Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said there was a need for a more proactive approach.