A Baltimore man charged in a 2025 mass shooting was scheduled for a September jury trial on June 23, five months after the state dismissed his original indictment with plans to refile with additional charges.
Deshawn Gwaltney, 25, is charged with four counts each of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, firearm use and use of an assault weapon in connection to a mass shooting that occurred in North Baltimore the afternoon of March 29, 2025.
Officers responded to the scene on the 400 block of Venable Avenue to find four victims—an 18-year-old male, a 25-year-old male, a 57-year-old female, and a 61-year-old male.
Gwaltney’s original indictment, which consisted of 16 counts, was dismissed on Jan. 12 after the state announced plans to file additional charges against the defendant. His new indictment contains 21 counts, including the four charges of assault weapon usage.
Gwaltney was charged alongside 22-year-old Broderick Young and Sha’Bria Destiny McCleod, who was 24 years old at the time of her arrest on May 27 last year. McCleod, who was only charged with being an accessory to the shooting, had her case dismissed on Aug. 19, 2025. Meanwhile, Young is set to stand trial late August this year on similar counts as Gwaltney.
Charging documents state Young drove a rented Jeep Compass to the shooting scene and stayed in the vehicle while Gwaltney and two other males exited and began firing.
Following the shooting, Gwaltney and McCleod allegedly made several phone calls to Gwaltney’s brother, who was incarcerated on drug and gun charges. In one call, McCleod was reportedly heard saying Gwaltney had removed multiple firearms from her home shortly before the shooting.
On Tuesday, the state offered Gwaltney a plea of life, suspending all but 80 years for his four counts of attempted murder. Defense attorney Ben Baker rejected the plea on Gwaltney’s behalf.
Following the rejection, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland agreed to schedule Gwaltney for a four-day trial beginning Sept. 29 before Judge Michael A. DiPietro.
