Jury Hears Closing Arguments in Frederick Avenue Attempted Murder Trial

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“Every single one of you watched him do it,” said the assistant state’s attorney in his closing argument delivered before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie J. Hong on Jan. 29.

Anthony Ward III, 26, is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a loaded handgun on his person, having a handgun on his person, firing a gun within Baltimore City and having a gun within 100 yards of the public.

Referencing video footage of the non-fatal shooting that occurred on the 4100 block of Frederick Avenue in March 2023, the prosecution pinpointed what he believed to be the moment of premeditation between the first and second gunshots. He admitted that while the suspect clearly lacked time to consider the consequences of his actions when he drew his gun and fired the first shot, he “cooly, coldly,” fired a second shot that elevated the crime from second- to first-degree murder.

Both attorneys agreed that evidence demonstrated proof of first-degree assault. However, defense attorney Donald C. Wright disputed Ward’s charges of attempted first- and second-degree murder by pointing out that an altercation that began with punches thrown and ended with a shot to the arm failed to reflect an intent to kill.

Gripping the podium, Wright criticized multiple aspects of investigators’ police work. He faulted a Baltimore City Police officer for failing to turn on his body camera until after he asked a witness to identify the suspect from various photographs. Wright also lamented that he had been unable to call witnesses from the store in which the defendant was allegedly seen on the day of the shooting because their names were not recorded by investigators.

“I don’t trust this case,” said Wright.

At the time of the incident, the defendant was allegedly wearing black and white Air Jordan sneakers, two hoods and a black puffer jacket with a white logo on the left breast. The prosecution implored the jury to consider the likelihood that the person depicted in the store’s security footage wearing those distinctive clothing items was the same person captured on video shooting the victim on a sidewalk in the same area two and a half hours later.

Wright reminded the jury how common these clothing items are, emphasizing that neither Air Jordans nor anything else of evidentiary value was found during a search of Ward’s home.