Daniel J. Gross/The Gazette A Prince George's County Police academy recruit class walks through a ravine near Chartsey Street in Kettering Friday to search for evidence in the Aug. 22 fatal shooting of 17-yaer-old Amber Stanley.

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It’s been more than 7 days since 17-year-old Amber Stanley, a senior at Charles Flowers High School in Springdale, was fatally shot inside her Kettering home and police in Prince George’s County are widening their search after discovering that the suspect walked quietly away from the scene on foot.

Following the shooting, the suspected killer walked, rather than ran, to the east from the home on Chartsey Street, said Capt. Joe Hoffman, of the county police department’s homicide unit.

On Aug. 22, the quiet neighborhood of single-family homes was subject to a shooting around 10:23 p.m. in the 100 block of Chartsey Street, when an unknown gunman kicked in the front door to Stanley’s home, went directly to her bedroom and shot her multiple times before running away, police have said. Three other occupants were in the home at the time, but no one else was harmed, police said.

“We’ve been aggressively working this case since 10:23 hours last [Wednesday] and we’ve brought all of our resources into this and running down every lead,” said Hoffman, while working with detectives in the neighborhood Friday.

On Friday, homicide detectives and 13 recruits from police academy class 121 examined streams, manholes, foliage and other areas of interest throughout the neighborhood in hopes of finding clues that may lead them to the suspected killer.

Hoffman would not say if any evidence had been found as of Friday morning.

He did say said police believe the suspect walked to the intersection of Chartsey and Cambleton Drive after fatally shooting Stanley and went east along Cambleton to flee the community that night. He said they’ve been working with “very cooperative neighbors” and said “it’s a wonderful community and just adds to the tragedy.”

Stanley was an honors student at Charles Flowers. She was enrolled in the school’s science and technology magnet program and had her eyes set on attending Harvard University with aspirations of becoming a doctor, said school Principal Gorman Brown.

Bill Moore, 82, lives on Essenton Drive, where police say the suspect passed when leaving the scene.

“I didn’t realize the perpetrator walked right through here until I spoke to police today,” said Moore. “Naturally, we don’t like that.”

He said while he did not know Stanley, he was pleased with the efforts made by the county police department in searching for evidence and using the academy recruit class to aid in the investigation.

He said other than an assault in early July, the neighborhood is generally peaceful and free of criminal activity.

Charles Smith, who lives a few houses down from Stanley on Chartsey Street, said he is confident the police investigation will yield results.

There was no answer at Stanley’s residence Friday.

Hoffman said police are investigating all persons known to Stanley, including those living at the home.

“On a murder investigation, you’re going to look at every person in the home and whoever the victim was associated with,” Hoffman said.

Police are still asking anyone with information to call PGPD’s homicide unit at 301-772-4925 or Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS to remain anonymous and be offered a reward of up to $25,000 for tips leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect.

“We want every phone call no matter what the information and we’ll put it all together,” Hoffman said.

djgross@gazette.net