The case of Jonathan Lee Brunson, a 50-year-old man accused of shooting a man in the face at a Caribbean festival last July, was dismissed on March 4 after the state lost contact with the victim and several witnesses..
Charging documents state that on July 12, 2025, Baltimore police officers received a ShotSpotter alert on the 2300 block of Fulton Avenue. Three .38-caliber shell casings were found at the shooting site.
The victim told detectives he and an acquaintance had been walking toward their car to leave the festival, when the latter began talking to Brunson’s daughter.
Brunson reportedly grew angry that the men were speaking to his daughter and began assaulting Johnson. When the victim attempted to break up the fight, Brunson shot him in the face. The victim fled the scene and transported himself to Union Memorial Hospital, where medical staff discovered the bullet appeared to have exited through his neck.
Officers reviewed CCTV footage from the area of the incident and were able to track Brunson’s movements during the shooting. Brunson was reportedly seen walking with a handgun after the shooting.
Several weeks later, the victim was shown a double-blind photo array and iallegedly identified Brunson as the shooter.
In requesting the dismissal, the state’s attorney told the court she failed to receive responses from the victim and several witnesses for over a week. Defense attorney John Cox joined in on the request.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Kimberly C. McBride agreed to dismiss the case and drop Brunson’s charges.
