Testimony continued on Nov. 6 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lynn Mays in the trial of 30-year-old Devontaye Richardson, who is accused of taking part in a 2024 Federal Hill shooting that left 19-year-old Cameran Holt dead.
Richardson faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and several firearm-related offenses.
A witness told jurors she was 17-years -old at the time of the incident and described the victim as being like family. She said she attended the victim’s sister’s gender reveal party earlier that evening before going out to Federal Hill with a group of friends. Later that night, they went to a nearby parking lot where people were hanging out, including co-defendant Alexis Cancel-Soto, who was convicted in September for the same shooting.
She said she was sitting near the entrance of the lot when an argument broke out between Richardson and another man. “They walked away arguing, and one of them said, ‘I’ll shoot this parking lot up,’” she recalled. She testified that several firearms were visible during the confrontation and said she and the victim decided to leave after hearing the threat. While parked nearby, she heard gunfire.
“I yelled for Cam to drive off,” she said. “I ducked down and told her to duck, too. That’s when I realized she was shot.”
The witness said she called 911 and waited for emergency responders. The victim was taken to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries. During cross-examination, defense attorney Daniel Mooney questioned inconsistencies in her statements to police, noting that she had been interviewed multiple times and did not see who fired the shots.
Another witness, the owner of the parking lot where the shooting occurred, told jurors he has operated the lot for over a decade and often rents spaces on weekends. He said the victim frequently visited on Friday and Saturday nights.
He recalled a purple Dodge Challenger pulling into the lot that night and blocking the entrance. The driver appeared drunk and became angry after someone bumped into his car. “His friend tried to calm him down by walking him toward the 7-Eleven,” he said. “When they came back, they had an AR-15.”
He said he told the driver to “get out of my parking lot,” and that the group left briefly before returning. Moments later, he heard gunfire. “Next thing you know, I heard bullet shots,” he said. “I hit the ground by my vehicle. My focus was about my own safety.”
The witness said he saw muzzle flashes coming from the purple Challenger and later reviewed surveillance footage with detectives.
The trial is expected to continue this week with additional witness testimony.
