Late Sunday night in La Plata, a night that started like any other ended in tragedy when 27‑year‑old Bradrick Michael Wells died after being shot during a heated argument inside a moving car. Authorities say the victim and the driver, Dayton James Webber, were friends known to one another, but their disagreement turned deadly. The two had been riding with others near La Plata Road and Radio Station Road just after 10:25 p.m. when what witnesses later described as a sharp confrontation erupted.
The people in the back seat told police that Webber, who was driving, fired a single shot that struck Wells in the head. Two witnesses jumped out of the vehicle after Webber pulled over near Llano Drive, refusing his request to help remove Wells from the car. The driver then drove off with the wounded man still inside. By the time emergency personnel were called, it was already past 10:40 p.m., and the critical details of the incident were just beginning to unfold.
Nearly two hours later, someone in the 10000 block of Newport Church Road in nearby Charlotte Hall spotted a body in the front yard and called 911. First responders pronounced Wells dead at the scene. His life ended far from home that night, leaving family, friends, and a tight‑knit community struggling to understand how an argument behind closed doors led to a death.
Police quickly linked the vehicle to Webber and began tracking him. Using information from cell phone activity and vehicle data, multiple law enforcement agencies followed his movements out of state. Webber’s car was eventually located in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he was found at a hospital being treated for a medical condition. Once released, local police arrested him as a fugitive.
Webber now faces a slate of serious charges in Charles County, including first‑degree and second‑degree murder. He remains in custody awaiting extradition back to Maryland, where prosecutors will pursue the case. Officials say there is no known threat to the public, and that all involved parties were acquainted before the shooting.
The community has been stunned by the violence in an area not accustomed to such deadly episodes. Neighbors say Wells was a quiet man with deep roots in Waldorf, remembered for his easy smile and the plans he had for his future. His untimely death has left far more questions than answers for those who knew him.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident and are urging anyone with information to come forward. For now, La Plata mourns a life cut short and waits for justice to move forward as the legal process takes shape.
