Salisbury man sentenced for attempted murder at Salisbury restaurant

SALISBURY, Md. – A Salisbury man has been sentenced on attempted murder charges.

24-year-old Markell Purnell was sentenced last week to life in prison with all but 25 years suspended for attempted first degree murder. The judge also sentenced Purnell to an additional 15 years for use of a firearm in a crime of violence and for possessing a handgun when prohibited, for a total active sentence of 40 years. We’re told Purnell will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 35 years of his sentence and will be on supervised probation for five years upon release.

Purnell was found guilty back in September following a two-day jury trial.

The charges stem from an incident that took place during the early morning hours of October 23, 2021, when Purnell and another co-defendant got into an altercation with patrons outside of Guidos Burritos in Salisbury. During the incident, a third co-defendant gave Purnell a handgun, and he immediately fired multiple rounds at the victim, who was standing near other patrons leaving the restaurant. The victim was hit by a single bullet in his leg, and several other vehicles were hit by projectiles. No one else was injured, and the victim was treated and released at TidalHealth in Salisbury.

Police say Purnell was prohibited from possessing a handgun at the time of the offense due to a previous conviction.

For our original story on this incident, click here.