SILVER SPRING, Md. (Map, News) - Former John F. Kennedy High School basketball star Jeremy Herring and his brother were shot to death by their father in the family’s Silver Spring home, Montgomery County Police said Monday. Thurmon Herring, the boys’ 44-year-old father, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of using of a handgun in the commission of a felony, police said.

Police identified the victims as 18-year-old Jeremy and 20-year-old Justin Herring. The father and sons all lived at a Longmead Crossing residence in the 14900 block of Dinsdale Drive.

Jeremy led Montgomery County in scoring last season, averaging more than 25 points per game. A 6-foot-2 guard, he was recruited by several colleges, reportedly including American University and Loyola University in Baltimore.

Thurmon Herring called 911 at about 9 a.m. Monday to report a domestic incident at his home that he said occurred earlier in the day, according to police department spokeswoman Lucille Bauer.

When officers arrived, they found the man’s two sons dead inside. Further investigation, Bauer said, determined that the father had killed them.

Both Jeremy and Justin Herring are believed to have been killed by gunshot wounds, but Bauer said the police department wouldn’t comment further on the nature of their injuries. Autopsies are being conducted in Baltimore.

Police on the scene at the Herring home called Montgomery County Fire and Rescue workers because a strong odor was emanating from the scene.

Pete Piringer, spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, said a number of nearby homes also were evacuated because of the possibility of hazardous materials in the air. No other injuries were reported, though, he added.

“There wasn’t an actual fire,” Bauer told The Examiner. “At this point we know there were fumes.”

The victims’ mother was found in the neighborhood, unharmed, police said.

Neighbors told The Examiner that the Herrings were new to the neighborhood, having moved in just a few months ago.

The motive for the slayings is not known, police said, nor have authorities been able to pinpoint when the homicides took place.

Staff writer Kathleen Miller contributed to this report.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com