A 59-year-old Annapolis man accused of pointing a handgun at three 12-year-old girls who came to his door caroling last November has been sentenced to three years of probation after entering an Alford plea to a single count of reckless endangerment. Paul Brian Susie will serve 18 months of supervised probation followed by 18 months of unsupervised probation, and he must forfeit the weapon police seized from his home.
The case began on November 22, 2025, when three girls, all 12 years old, visited Susie's home in Epping Forest to sing Christmas carols while five other girls stood farther down his driveway, according to The Baltimore Banner. Doorbell camera footage that lasted about 30 seconds showed the three girls standing on Susie's front porch. One of the girls' parents called police after the encounter turned frightening.
Katherine Anthony said Susie returned with his gun and pointed it at the girls, the outlet reported, while Peter O'Neill offered a different account, saying Susie held the gun down near his hip rather than pointing it out toward the children. The children fled after seeing Susie with a gun. O'Neill also said Susie and his wife had no expectation of visitors or carolers around 9 p.m. that night.
Police Say Susie Admitted Involvement, Acknowledged Drinking
Southern District police officers were dispatched to the 1700 block of Point No Point Drive at 9:10 p.m. on November 22, roughly 40 minutes after the reported assault, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Officers retraced the carolers' steps to identify Susie's home and located him inside. Police described Susie as loud and belligerent and said he admitted involvement in the incident.
Susie told investigators he had consumed at least one drink while watching television with his wife, and the investigating officer wrote in charging documents that Susie was likely under the influence at the time of the confrontation. He had a handgun permit, and police seized a loaded .40-caliber Glock from a safe inside his home. Susie was released after posting a $10,000 unsecured bond.
Felony Charges Gave Way to a Single Misdemeanor
Susie was originally charged with multiple counts of first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment, along with wearing and carrying a handgun while under the influence, per the Banner's reporting. Under Maryland law, first-degree assault carries up to 25 years in prison per count, and Anne Arundel County Police spokesperson Marc Limansky said at the time that pointing a handgun at another person constitutes a threat of violence and a direct threat to personal safety, a rationale documented by WJZ.
The handgun-while-intoxicated charge Susie originally faced carries up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine under Maryland Public Safety Code Section 5-314. But the case ultimately resolved with an Alford plea, a legal mechanism that lets a defendant accept conviction and sentencing while still maintaining innocence, so long as prosecutors can show they likely had enough evidence to convince a judge or jury. The single reckless endangerment count to which Susie pleaded carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine under Maryland law, a steep drop from the decades of exposure he faced at arrest.
Girls Say Fear Lingers in the Neighborhood
Victim impact statements were read in court from two of the girls involved. One said the incident made her feel unsafe in her own neighborhood, while another said Susie still gives her mean looks. The case unfolded in Epping Forest, a gated waterfront community on the Severn River established in 1926, about two miles from the U.S. Naval Academy. The neighborhood, which became a special tax district under Maryland legislation in 1957, now contains nearly 300 private homes that maintain their own gated entrance, roads, and clubhouse while relying on county police and emergency services.
Cody Boteler, who covers Anne Arundel County for the Banner's regional team, reported the sentencing, with Alex Mann contributing to that report. Hoodline previously covered Susie's initial arrest in November, when he first faced the felony assault counts stemming from the encounter.
