Opening statements and testimony were heard May 27 in the attempted murder trial of Marcus Lilly, 43, before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lawrence P. Fletcher-Hill.
Lilly faces multiple charges stemming from an Oct. 16, 2024 shooting on the 3500 block of W. Canton Avenue, including three counts each of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and firearm use in a felony violent crime.
During opening statements, the state’s attorney argued the shooting stemmed from escalating tensions between Lilly and 25-year-old co-defendant Shyheem Thompson following an earlier altercation inside a liquor store.
According to the state, surveillance footage showed Lilly and Thompson approaching each other on the block before exchanging gunfire near a white van.
Defense attorney Michael Tomko argued the state’s case leaves unanswered questions and said Lilly cooperated with police following the incident.
Tomko described Lilly as a college graduate involved in the community and urged jurors to evaluate the evidence presented during the trial carefully.
Following opening arguments, the prosecution summoned several witnesses.
According to a Baltimore Police Department (BPD) detective who responded to the scene that evening, investigators recovered bullet fragments, blood evidence, and the white van. Surveillance footage from the liquor store showed the initial confrontation between the co-defendants, while footage from a nearby church captured the shooting.
The detective testified that the footage showed several individuals near the white van moving a refrigerator before a person identified as Lilly, wearing a black leather jacket, and another man in a gray jacket approached from opposite ends of the block and fired shots.
The trial is ongoing.
