Baltimore County police have identified and arrested a Gambian immigrant as the suspect in the fatal stabbing of 22-year-old Ebrima Loppy, another young man from The Gambia, following a dispute early Monday morning.
The suspect, Mohammad Jeng, allegedly told investigators he stabbed Loppy in the neck during an argument, claiming the act was in self-defense, according to charging documents cited in reports from the Baltimore Sun.
The incident occurred around 4:05 a.m. on December 29 in the 1700 block of Edgewood Road, near Loch Raven Boulevard in Parkville. Officers responded to a “check location” call and found both Loppy and Jeng at the scene. Loppy, who suffered a stab wound to the upper body, was pronounced dead on site.
Authorities have classified the stabbing as an isolated incident stemming from a personal dispute between the two individuals, who knew each other. Formal charges against Jeng are pending as the homicide unit continues its investigation.
This tragedy marks the second death of a young Gambian immigrant in the United States within weeks, coming just days after 21-year-old Abubacarr Darboe was fatally shot in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 20.
Both Loppy and Jeng were young immigrants building lives in the U.S., underscoring the profound impact on the tight-knit Gambian diaspora community. While police stress there is no ongoing threat to the public, the case has deepened mourning among community members already grieving Darboe’s loss.
Local outlets, including WBAL-TV, WMAR-2 News, and FOX Baltimore, initially reported the arrest without naming the suspect, focusing on resident concerns over neighborhood safety despite the isolated nature of the event.
As the investigation proceeds, friends and family of both men call for understanding and peace amid this heartbreaking intra-community violence.
