Salisbury man sentenced to 50 years in prison following murder, assault conviction

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – A Salisbury man will likely spend the majority of his life in prison after he was convicted of assault and murder charges.

20-year-old Khalil Bivens is sentenced to life in prison with all but 40 years suspended for first-degree murder. He is also sentenced to 10 years behind bars for first-degree assault. Following the active sentence of 50 years, Bivens will be bound to five years of supervised probation. Any violation of his probation would return Bivens to prison for life.

On October 28th, 2024, investigators say Bivens and three others drove to Cash Market on West Road, armed with a handgun and “bent on mayhem.” When the group arrived, Bivens got out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots into a crowd of people outside the market. The gunfire killed one man, and another was injured. Bivens and the group then left the scene.

Days later, Bivens and a co-defendant led police on a vehicle chase through Salisbury, which ended with their arrests. Police say Bivens threw a bag from the vehicle during the chase, which investigators say contained the murder weapon.

Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes condemned the crime, stating in part, “Violent gang activity continues to escalate in Wicomico County … (Law enforcement) will not tolerate this lawless behavior and will continue to work tirelessly to hold the perpetrators to account.”