Police officer shoots alleged gunman who fired at cops in Montgomery Village

A Montgomery County police officer shot an alleged gunman who police say fired two shots at officers first in Montgomery Village yesterday, March 24, 2026. The officers were proactively patrolling in the high crime area of Lost Knife Circle Tuesday afternoon. While in the vicinity of Montgomery Village Plaza on Contour Road, they observed suspicious activity, and approached an adult male suspect to investigate. The suspect took off running, and attempted to seek refuge in an apartment complex on Lost Knife.

As officers turned a corner at the complex in pursuit, the suspect allegedly fired two shots at them. One County officer returned fire, striking the suspect. They provided first aid to the suspect, who was then transported to a local hospital in stable condition. He is expected to survive. 

Officers recovered a handgun at the scene. No injuries were reported beyond the suspect. The officer who fired the shots has been placed on administrative leave, and the Major Crimes Division is conducting the investigation into the shooting. Police said this is an active and ongoing investigation, and that the suspect’s identity and charges will be released when they become available.

Armed robbery at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg yesterday, March 23, 2026. The robbery was reported on Grand Corner Avenue at 12:30 PM. According to police, the victim was approached by two suspects who brandished a firearm and demanded his headphones. The victim complied, and the suspects fled on foot.

Police describe the suspects only as two juveniles. It was not explained how they managed to evade the many surveillance cameras in the vicinity. Another shocking daylight violent crime, a disturbing new trend in Montgomery County.

Quincy's Golf & Social opens in Gaithersburg

Quincy's Golf & Social is now open at 245 Kentlands Boulevard in Gaithersburg. The restaurant offers golf simulators and employs the Trackman system. Customers have posted positive reviews online, earning the restaurant a 4.7 stars out of 5 on Google Reviews, and 5 stars out of 5 on Yelp. Beyond providing a dining and entertainment experience year-round, it's also a great place to tee off when the weather is not optimal for the real thing. 

Update on Sheetz construction at Walnut Hill Shopping Center (Photos)

Construction on the second Sheetz convenience store and mega gas station in the MD 355 corridor is advancing quickly at the Walnut Hill Shopping Center at 733 S. Frederick Avenue. The familiar building design and roofline are now visible. There's an interesting Sheetz Site Safety sign I have included a picture of below. It looks like the store could be open by summer at this point.

Construction begins on Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen in Gaithersburg

Construction has begun on Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen at 212 Boardwalk Place at the Rio Lakefront development in Gaithersburg. A construction wall has been erected over the storefront. The Florida-based restaurant presents the culinary artistry of Chef Rachid Eido, a native of Beirut. Chef Rachid studied at at the prestigious Culinary School of Beirut, and has worked at top hotel kitchens at the Intercontinental Hotel in Beirut, and the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.

J. Crew Factory to open at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg

J. Crew Factory is coming soon to Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. The outlet arm of the preppy apparel brand has posted signage in the storefront windows at 20-A Grand Corner Avenue. J. Crew Factory will open in "Winter 2026," according to the signage. Very similar to Gap Factory, J. Crew Factory is not a liquidation outlet of past-prime J. Crew clothing, instead carrying a line of clothing designed specifically for Factory stores. 

What's the difference? Mostly in the materials used. They're going to be lower-quality but also much lower priced. The genuine wool sweater or scarf you might buy at J. Crew, for example, could be made of synthetic fabrics at Factory stores. So it's a way to get J. Crew styling for less, but the pieces might not last you as long as The Real Thing. How can you immediately recognize a Factory item on the resale market? J. Crew Factory items will have two tiny diamonds or dots on the brand label.

Sam's Car Wash proposed for Damascus

Sam's Car Wash could be coming soon to Damascus, if the local chain receives permission from the Montgomery County Planning Board. Yes, in anti-business Montgomery County, businesspeople apparently can't just open a car wash without jumping through Marxist government hoops. These hoops include a list of demands from government that sound like a cross between Soviet central planning and a mafia shakedown.

The car wash is proposed for 26203 Ridge Road (MD 27), currently the site of a bank building. Sam's would demolish most of the bank, but retain part of it for office space. Existing driveways would be consolidated into one two-way curb cut for ingress and egress. 

The proposed facility is a fully-automated express car wash with automatic gates and license plate readers. "A loader will guide the customer onto the conveyor" to enter the wash tunnel, the planning staff report says. Operating hours would be 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM Monday through Saturday, and 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sundays. 

Planning commissioners will review the conditional use request at their Thursday, March 26, 2026 meeting. Staff are recommending approval of the car wash with a massive list of conditions, including the County restricting the hours of operation to the aforementioned schedule, a stipulation that no more than 4 employees may be on-site at any time, forcing the company to enter a "surety and maintenance agreement" with the Planning Board in order to receive a building permit, and forcing the company to pay the County for the full cost of constructing an 8' bike lane, a 6' street buffer, and a 2' widening of the existing sidewalk. 

And we wonder why the Montgomery County economy is moribund!