Opening statements and witness testimony began for the gang-related homicide trial of Gregory Whitfield, 21, on Oct 1. in Baltimore City Circuit Court before Judge Jeannie Hong.
He’s accused of killing Theodore Burrell, 20, and attempted first-degree murder of another male victim 25, that occurred on the 2400 Block of Frederick Avenue at the Westside Shopping Center.
The prosecutor described the defendant as “deliberate, determined and deadly,” in commiting the assault.
Whitfield faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of first-degree murder, firearm use in the commission of a violent felony, first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and other weapons charges for the incident that occurred on July 16, 2024.
In addition to the two victims, the defendant allegedly shot his alleged co-conspirator, Bishop Chance, 19, in the buttocks during the incident. He was taken to Harbor Hospital and was non-compliant during a police interview. The vehicle used to drop him off at the hospital was registered to Whitfield, a known associate of Chance through social media and cell data. Ultimately, Chance was separately convicted and sentenced to life plus 40 years.
The defendant and Chance were allegedly members of the “YRN” gang engaged in a beef with Burrell’s “Monroe/Mosher” group, that has erupted in numerous violent incidents near the shopping center.
According to the charging documents, after being notified by ShotSpotter–Baltimore City’s gunshot audio tracking system–of six shots fired and a 911 call from outside Westside Shopping Center, Baltimore City Police (BPD) officers arrived at the scene to find Burrell on the ground suffering from numerous wounds to his leg and torso. Burrell was taken to University of the Maryland Shock Trauma Center where he succumbed to his injuries.
The other victim walked into Grace Hospital with a non-life-threatening injury to his right shoulder. When interviewed, he told detectives that he had been shot at Westside Shopping Center.
In opening statements, the prosecution argued that Whitfield was lethally determined to commit the homicide. She pointed to his relentless focus “that his job was done,” during the homicide as he allegedly fired six shots from two guns at the time of the shooting, with another weapon allegedly linked to him through DNA evidence found at the scene. The fact that he allegedly injured his co-conspirator was further evidence of his intent to commit a double homicide, said the prosecutor..
Whitfield’s defense counsel, Roya May Hannah, focused on important details that went against the prosecution’s narrative of the incident, repeating the “angel is in the details.” She argued that the gun found at the incident was a .22 caliber, but no cartridges or casings of that caliber were found at the scene. She said that the video evidence was grainy and unclear, that video evidence only showed Whitfield in the vicinity an hour before the incident, and his phone was off for two hours before the incident and came back on an hour afterwards.
Witness testimony is expected to continue on Oct 2.
