Inset: James Richburg (BPD). Background: The bus where Richburg killed a man after bumping into him (WBAL).
A 63-year-old Maryland man who fatally shot a fellow MTA bus passenger after becoming enraged that the victim didn't say "excuse me" when he bumped into him will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.
A judge on Friday sentenced James Richburg to 70 years in a state prison after he was convicted on one count each of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a firearm in the November 2024 killing of 32-year-old William Womack, authorities announced.
The shooting unfolded about 1 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2024, as Womack was trying to get off an MTA bus near the intersection of Eutaw and Redwood streets, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office said in a news release. Womack dropped a Gatorade bottle while exiting, accidentally bumping into Richburg and sparking an argument.
After Womack stepped off the bus, Richburg shouted, "I won't let you live," according to prosecutors. Womack got back on the bus and confronted him, asking what he had said.
"I won't let you live [expletive], you didn't hear me?" Richburg allegedly replied before pulling a handgun from his pants, walking toward Womack and firing a single shot into his chest from just a few feet away.
Both men ran off the bus after the shooting, but Womack collapsed and later died at a hospital. Surveillance cameras inside the bus captured the killing, and investigators released a still image of the gunman while searching for the suspect.
As Law&Crime previously reported, court records alleged the confrontation began because Richburg became angry that Womack failed to apologize after bumping into him while retrieving the bottle he had dropped. During trial, prosecutors argued Richburg shot Womack at point-blank range over the perceived slight.
Richburg's attorney claimed the shooting was an act of self-defense, arguing Womack had committed a battery by bumping into his client and continued to "harangue and harass" him after getting back on the bus. Prosecutors countered that Womack was unarmed, emphasizing that surveillance footage of the confrontation contradicted the self-defense claim.
Detectives ultimately identified Richburg by tracing the bus pass he used to board the MTA bus. Transit records showed the same pass being used on other days, and additional surveillance footage allegedly captured Richburg using it, allowing investigators to identify him before his arrest on Dec. 9, 2024.
"Today's sentence ensures that James Richburg will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the senseless murder of William Womack, whose life was stolen in a brazen act of violence in broad daylight on an MTA bus," Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates said in announcing the sentence. "My office remains steadfast in our commitment to reducing gun violence, protecting our communities, and seeking justice for victims and their loved ones."
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