Police Search for Homicide Evidence at Howard High School

Howard County detectives searched the grounds of Howard High School Tuesday but found no evidence in the shooting death of a bail bondswoman about a mile away in Columbia.

“The Howard County Police Department conducted a search today of the exterior grounds of Howard High School as part of an ongoing investigation,” said Howard High School Principal Gina Massella in an e-mail to parents on Tuesday afternoon.

Police said "evidence involved in a recent homicide might have been dumped on the grounds of the school," said Massella, but “no evidence of any kind was found. Instruction and school business was conducted as usual.”

The investigation was related to a Monday night homicide in Columbia, said Elizabeth Schroen, spokeswoman for the Howard County Police Department.

On Sept. 12, at approximately 10 p.m., police say they found a bail bondswoman suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot of an apartment building on the 8700 block of Hayshed Lane in Columbia.

Nichole Bernadette McNair, 42, of Baltimore, was transported to Howard County General Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead overnight, according to a press release.

Police charged Dominique Davon McDonald, 21, of Columbia, in the killing.

At the time of the shooting, witnesses reported seeing a man in a hooded jacket running from the scene where McNair’s car was left running, said police. Detectives searched McNair’s car and found paperwork indicating she was collecting a payment from Dominique Davon McDonald, 21, of Columbia.

McDonald's track record shows that he was arrested Sept. 2 at a Howard County school. According to court records, McDonald was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon at Long Reach High School. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 30 for trespassing and gun charges.

In the Sept. 12 homicide case, McDonald was charged with first- and second-degree murder and first-and second-degree assault, according to police. He is being held at the Howard County Detention Center on $2 million bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Lisa Rossi contributed to this report.

This article has been corrected to reflect that the principal of Howard High School is Gina Massella. A previous version identified her as Gina Stokes (name of the ).