Jury Hears Gunshots That Claimed 15-Year-Old Teen’s Life at Closing of Shooter’s Murder Trial

By Andrew Michaels - February 3, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Family members of 15-year-old Ja’Nyi Weeden jolted in their seats as they listened to the gunshots that took their loved one’s life on Aug. 10, 2021. Nearby, the accused shooter, Zachariah Allison, sat still at the defense counsel’s table, his jury trial having reached closing arguments on Feb. 1.

On Thursday afternoon, the prosecutor replayed the recovered video footage from that night. Two groups of girls are heard yelling at one another when at least four gunshots are fired, silencing the shouting. The only sound remaining came from someone who was screaming Weeden’s name.

Allison, now 18, is facing murder and weapons charges for Weeden’s death that resulted from an ongoing dispute between two groups of teenaged girls that began two days earlier. The fight initially started with a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old girl on Edmondson Avenue. That evening, the 15-year-old teen and her friends, including the defendant, went to the 18-year-old teen’s apartment and attempted to break down the front door, but were unsuccessful.

Threats of a fight continued over social media, text messages and phone calls on Aug. 9, 2021, but reignited the next day when the 18-year-old teen and her friends went to the other girl’s home on the 3600 block of Eversley Street.

Although present, the prosecutor said, “[Weeden] had nothing to do with what happened on Edmondson Avenue. She had nothing to do with what happened at the apartment.”

“The argument back and forth gets even louder until you hear the gunshots,” she said, explaining that the 18-year-old’s group threw rocks and bricks at the other teen’s front door.

Weeden was shot in the back of her neck.

A lieutenant with the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) arrived at the scene only four minutes later, but no one was there. Officers found four shell casings in the area the next morning.

During their investigation, police found a video posted by Allison and his friend on social media, showing the two dancing to rap music and waving around the alleged murder weapon. According to the prosecution, the defendant sold the handgun on Aug. 13, 2021, but made the video after the fatal shooting three days earlier.

Allison’s friend allegedly brokered the sale; however, police were able to recover the handgun from the buyer.

“[The defendant] intended to kill anybody who was on the street that night,” the prosecutor said. 

Defense attorney Andre Mahasa questioned the BPD’s interrogation of his client, suggesting that detectives were trying to put words in Allison’s mouth.

“When I was watching that interrogation, I could see how easy it is for a person to be wrongly convicted once a detective has tunnel vision,” Mahasa said. 

Allison voluntarily spoke with police, defense counsel continued, and was never identified by any witnesses as the shooter. The only witness who testified to the description of the shooter said the shooter was wearing all black, he said, while the prosecution argued the shooter was wearing a white shirt and black shorts.

The witness also said the shooter had longer hair than the defendant.

“The government’s case is going to rest on a white shirt and a haircut in a first-degree murder case,” Mahasa said, baffled.

The jury began their deliberations on Thursday and continued on Feb. 2, with Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Robert K. Taylor Jr. presiding.