It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in Rockville’s Welsh Park, when the defendant fired 14 shots in pursuit of his sometime girlfriend.
According to a press release from the County State’s Attorney’s Office, on Monday, Kenneth Oates, age 40, was sentenced to 100 years in prison following his conviction in April. He was charged with attempted second-degree murder, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, and one count of first-degree assault as well as several other weapons-related crimes.
On Oct. 26, 2024, Oates went in search of his on again, off again girlfriend. During half time of a flag football game, she sat in her car talking with a friend. That’s when Oates appeared out of the nearby woods and began shooting.
The friend fled through a field as bullets bounced around him. Then Oates fired seven gunshots into the vehicle. The girlfriend sped away driving through a field crowded with families. A young boy hiding in the playground witnessed the shooting. A witness at the trial, he rode his bicycle home to tell his parents about the “gunner in the park.” The County State’s Attorney’s Office released ring camera video in which the gunshots can be heard.
As Assistant State’s Attorney and Special Victims Division Chief Debbie Feinstein stated, “It is a miracle that no one was physically injured in this shooting. It happened on a sunny Saturday afternoon, in a space filled with families who will never forget the shooting at their park, where they thought they were safe. This is a clear example of how domestic violence affects entire communities. We are grateful to the judge for issuing an appropriate sentence in this matter.”
Oates’ sentence was suspended to 35 years, with five years of supervised probation upon release.
