Sentencing for one of three co-defendants in a fatal 2024 Federal Hill shooting will resume later this summer after counsel notified the court on May 12 that they have yet to receive a pre-sentencing investigation report regarding the defendant, 29-year-old Daeshaun Tyreke Clark.
Clark was initially charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and three gun offenses for his involvement in the shooting, which occurred in the parking lot of a Federal Hill bar during a Halloween bar crawl. On March 6, he was convicted by a jury of one downgraded count of attempted voluntary manslaughter, first-degree assault, all three gun offenses and reckless endangerment.
Reports of the shooting state that a confrontation between the driver of a Dodge Challenger and Clark’s group of friends resulted in what the state called “an eruption of gunfire” during the early morning hours of Oct. 27, 2024.
The driver of the Challenger was shot, and 19-year-old Cameran Holt, who was uninvolved in the altercation, was killed in the gunfire. Holt’s killer, 21-year-old Alexis Cancel-Soto, was sentenced in March to life, suspending all but 30 years. Holt had reportedly been his friend.
At Clark’s sentencing hearing, the state recommended a term of 40 years, suspending all but 30, on manslaughter and gun charges. Defense attorney Jerry Rodriguez pushed back against the recommendation, noting his client acted that night “in response to fear for his own safety and fear for others.”
“The state is seeking nearly double the guideline range, without meaningful justification,” Rodriguez argued.
Sentencing discussions were ultimately tabled until July 13 after Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Dana M. Middleton found that the nature of Clark’s crimes and the weight of the state’s proposed sentence warranted a deeper understanding of the defendant’s character.
At least 20 members of Clark’s family attended the defendant’s sentencing hearing, as well as two members of Holt’s family. Clark’s mother and younger brother read character letters to the court, and Rodriguez was allowed to read letters from two other members of Clark’s family.
All four letters attested to Clark’s devotion as a father to a young son, as well as his “kind, respectful” nature. His cousin urged Judge Middleton to consider how disparate life circumstances can lead individuals to make poor decisions.
“His son needs him. He’s a present and affectionate father,” Clark’s cousin told the court through tears. “Removing him from his son’s life will cause lasting consequences for both of them.”
Clark’s younger brother described a fatherless childhood with multiple siblings, and said Clark stepped up and “taught me to also be a parent, in a way.”
After hearing from Clark’s family, Judge Middleton ruled the pre-sentencing investigation report would be critical to determining a fair and appropriate sentence for the defendant.
Parties are set to reconvene on the afternoon of July 13 for a final hearing.
