Man found dead at park trailhead behind Hyattsville elementary school

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Published October 29, 2026 2:57 PM EDT
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Man found dead behind Prince George's County school in third homicide of the day

Prince George's County police are investigating after a man in his 20s was found dead with trauma to his upper body and surrounded by shell casings in the woods behind Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School. The deadly discovery marks the county's third homicide in a single day—following fatal incidents in Landover and College Park—leaving detectives working around the clock to track down suspects and review potential surveillance footage. Former FBI agent Ken Gray joins the broadcast to break down the investigation and the possible timeline of the gunfire.

The Brief

    • Park maintenance workers found the body of a man in his 20s Thursday morning near a trailhead behind Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School in Hyattsville.
    • Maryland National Capital Park Police said the victim was a Hispanic male, and investigators do not have a suspect in custody.
    • The discovery marks the third separate homicide investigation launched across Prince George's County within a single morning.

HYATTSVILLE, Md. - Park police are investigating after maintenance workers discovered a man dead along a park trailhead directly behind an elementary school in Hyattsville.

What we know:

Shortly before 11 a.m. on Oct. 29, maintenance workers at Langley Hampshire Neighborhood Park found a body at the start of a trailhead near the end of Quebec Street, according to the Maryland National Capital Park Police.

The park sits directly behind Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School.

Investigators at the scene of Langley Hampshire Neighborhood Park after a body was found on the morning of Oct. 29.
Investigators at the scene of Langley Hampshire Neighborhood Park after a body was found on the morning of Oct. 29.
Investigators at the scene of Langley Hampshire Neighborhood Park after a body was found on the morning of Oct. 29.
Investigators at the scene of Langley Hampshire Neighborhood Park after a body was found on the morning of Oct. 29.
Investigators at the scene of Langley Hampshire Neighborhood Park after a body was found on the morning of Oct. 29.
Investigators at the scene of Langley Hampshire Neighborhood Park after a body was found on the morning of Oct. 29.
Investigators at the scene of Langley Hampshire Neighborhood Park after a body was found on the morning of Oct. 29.

Police described the victim as a Hispanic man in his 20s. 

Investigators said there were multiple shell casings found around the victim and there was visible trauma to his upper body. Authorities noted there are no suspects identified or in custody at this time.

This is the third homicide investigation to occur in Prince George's County since early Thursday morning. At 4:15 a.m., officers were called to College Park where a man had been stabbed to death. Just an hour later, police responded to a shooting in Hyattsville in which a man was found dead.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not released the victim's name or confirmed his official cause of death.

Police have not indicated what led up to the man's death or whether the incident is connected to any other recent criminal activity in the area.

Investigators have not stated whether classes or school activities at the adjacent elementary school were impacted by the investigation.

The Source: This article was written using information from the Maryland National Capital Park Police and previous reporting by FOX 5 DC.

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