The suspect, described as a young, tall, thin black man, was wearing a thick, puffy dark coat with an octagon design, according to witnesses. He was estimated to be in his 20s, 130 pounds, 5 feet 9 inches tall.
He was last seen running north on Mulberry Street.
A companion of the suspect who wasn't believed to be directly involved in the shooting was described as a black man wearing a yellow coat, Rourke said.
Police believe the incident began when a car containing the victim and two of his friends encountered the suspect and the other man standing in the street outside the Corner Pub in the intersection known as Five Corners.
"The victim, who was the front seat passenger, rolled down his window and yelled for the two men to get out of the way," Rourke said.
One of the men yelled back an obscenity, Rourke said.
"The people in the car deny that they used any racial slurs," Rourke said.
The occupants of the car were white.
"We're still trying to firm up some details about the events that led to the shooting," Spielman said.
The girl driving the car proceeded south and parked in the Corner Pub parking lot near the home of the victim, Rourke said. It was then she noticed a person standing in front of the car with a gun to his side.
"The victim got out and there was a struggle," Rourke said. "Then shots were heard."
The back seat passenger then got out of the car and told Rourke he tackled the man with the gun in front of the ramp at the Corner Pub. Then the suspect ran off down Mulberry Street, the passenger told police.
Rourke said the bar was "packed" at the time of the shooting, which was estimated at around 12:30 a.m., but apparently nobody saw anything resembling a fight outside the bar.
Unaware he'd been shot, the victim told his friends he was having trouble breathing, Rourke said. When he checked his shirt, he saw blood.
The friends put him in the car and drove him to the hospital, where police were called.
Anyone with information about the shooting, the shooter, or his location and identity is asked to contact police at 301-790-3700, ext. 236, or Crime Solvers at 301-733-4141.
