Remembering Our Dead

Meghan Riley Lewis

Meghan was shot by a food delivery driver, reportedly after she objected to him misgendering her.

Brian Michael Delen, 47, was arrested at the scene and charged with second degree murder. The charges were later upgraded to first degree murder.

Town police said officers were called around 6:30 p.m. to the English Country Manor condominiums in the 600 block of Churchill Road for a shooting. Police said a preliminary investigation indicates a confrontation in the parking lot led to the shooting and that the suspect, Brian Michael Delen, 47, of Bel Air, called 911.

"(Delen) immediately surrendered to them (officers). They took him into custody and found a semi-automatic pistol on his person. From that point, they also saw the victim lying on the ground," Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore told 11 News.

A court charging document obtained by 11 News said it was all over gender identity.

Police said Lewis was shot in the upper torso and was taken to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, where she died.

The charging document states Delen was delivering food when he and Lewis got into a confrontation. The court record states: "Delen asked, 'Are you waiting for a food delivery, sir?' Lewis took offense to what she believed was Delen misgendering her and began yelling at him."

The charging document states Delen began to drive away and Lewis followed on foot. Delen then stopped his car and got out, the dispute escalated, and, "during the altercation, Delen produced his firearm and fired one round, striking Lewis in the left abdomen."

Police charged Delen with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and a gun charge. He remains held at the Harford County Detention Center, and a bail review hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.

Meghan was "a fixture in the community and loved by many".

Her last message to me should say everything about how incredible a person she was. pic.twitter.com/dWYNVdYC5a

— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) December 29, 2023

In November 2024 Delen was acquitted of murder but convicted of second-degree assault and a gun charge. After the verdict the Harford County State Attorney Alison Healey said:

"Obviously, this is not the outcome for which we were hoping. We stand by our arguments to the jury that the incident that took the life of Meghan Riley Lewis was undoubtedly a First Degree Murder."

Meghan's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/meghan.lewis.9237.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2DroKmbJTw

Report added: 31 Dec 2023. Last updated: 16 Nov 2024

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