Defendant Rejected 30-Year Plea in Reisterstown Road Non-Fatal Shooting Case

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On June 1, a 27-year-old Baltimore resident rejected a 30-year plea deal before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn for allegedly shooting a 23-year-old man in 2022.

Defendant Naeem Sekou, represented by defense attorney Lynn Peace, rejected a plea offer of life, suspending all but 30 years with five years of probation for attempted first-degree murder; a concurrent sentence of 20 years, the first five without the possibility of parole for use of a firearm during a felony violent crime; a concurrent sentence of three years for carrying a handgun on his person; a consecutive five years without parole for the possession of a firearm during a felony violent crime; and an additional consecutive five years without the possibility of parole for possession of a firearm during a felony violent crime. The defendant would have also been required to stay away from the victim and from the incident location.

According to court documents, on Nov. 11, 2022, around 11:06 p.m., police were notified of a shooting at 6200 Reisterstown Road. Once they arrived, they were unable to immediately locate the victim or Sekou, but reported finding 9mm shell casings in a bar parking lot. As the officers were investigating the scene, a hospital notified them of a walk-in shooting victim. The victim described being shot once in the shoulder and identified Sekou as the shooter. Sekou’s involvement was confirmed by CCTV footage and other witnesses.

On video, the victim is seen conversing with Sekou outside a bar. As the victim drove away, Sekou fired into the vehicle, striking the victim. Sekou walked north from Reisterstown Road to leave the area as the victim walked towards the nearest hospital.

Sekou is charged with first and second-degree attempted murder, first and second-degree assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, use of a firearm during a felony violent crime, having a handgun on his person, discharging firearms, illegally possessing ammo, two counts possessing a firearm with a felony conviction, two counts of illegally possessing a regulated firearm, and two counts of possessing a firearm with a prior drug conviction.

Judge Phinn scheduled the defendant to start trial on Aug. 14 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yvette M. Bryant. The trial is expected to last two days.