Convicted Murderer Will Be Sentenced in July

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A day after being found guilty of first-degree murder and six other charges on May 1, Deonte Price, 18, received a sentencing date of July 11 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland.

Price initially faced nine charges in connection to a May 19, 2023 shooting that left one dead and one injured. His charges included two counts each of first-degree murder and firearm use in a violent crime, a single count of attempted first-degree murder, and related conspiracy and firearm violations. A jury found him guilty of all charges but attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit it.

Price, who was 16 and a minor at the time of the shooting, was and remains prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. Despite his relative youth, Price was tried as an adult due to the severity of his crimes.

According to charging documents, at approximately 8:44 p.m., homicide officers received dispatch of a shooting in the 200 block of East Street. Upon arrival, officers located Debrae Edwards, 19, unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head. Another 19-year-old, now 21, was also located suffering from a gunshot wound to his right arm. Homicide officers assumed control of the investigation.

Officers located the unnamed victim’s vehicle, a 2008 Nissan Altima with Virginia tags, crashed into the side of a rowhome in the 200 block of East Street. Allegedly, the victim was located sitting on the steps of a dwelling a few feet away from his vehicle.

A crime scene was located in the 200 block of East Street and consisted of the Nissan Altima, one .40-caliber handgun, spent .40-caliber and 9mm casings, suspected blood and clothing.

Medics transported Edwards to Johns Hopkins Hospital for treatment. The unnamed victim was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center to receive treatment for his wound. The evening of May 21, 2023, two days after the shooting, Edwards was pronounced deceased.

On May 22, 2023, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner completed an autopsy on Edwards and ruled his cause of death to be homicide by a single gunshot wound.

Investigators recovered video surveillance footage from the Pleasant View Gardens senior living facility, located in the 200 block of Aisquith Street, that captured the incident. In the footage, Edwards was seen backing into the 200 block of East Street and parking his car at the intersection of Saint Matthews Street and East Street. The unnamed victim, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, exited the vehicle and walked alongside it as it backed up.

He then appeared to approach a group of males on the street corner before stepping out of the frame of footage with one of them, who was later identified as Price. After reentering the frame, he stood closest to the vehicle while Price stood to his left. Price was wearing a black hoodie with a light stripe on the hood over a white t-shirt, black pants, black-and-white tennis shoes, and a black face mask. He appeared to be restraining the victim’s movement by controlling his right arm.

Edwards, who was seated in the driver’s seat, saw the unnamed victim approaching the vehicle and opened the passenger side door from where he sat. Price looked into the vehicle, produced a handgun with his right hand, and discharged at Edwards.

A second man accompanying Price was seen at the rear of the Nissan producing another handgun and opening fire at the vehicle. While attempting to flee, Edwards appeared to lose control of the Nissan, jumping the curb and hitting a home in the block. Price then reportedly shot toward the Nissan several more times before fleeing the scene on foot down Saint Matthews Street.

At the time of the incident, marked patrol units conducting car stops in the area heard multiple gunshots from the area and responded on foot. Upon observing Price fleeing, they gave chase.

Officers located Price sitting on the steps of a residence in the 200 block of Saint Matthews Street, breathing heavily. Price advised he just exited the residence, which was located approximately 100 yards from the crime scene. Officers conducted a patdown and confirmed he was unarmed. Responders were unable to locate the second suspect.

Area canvassing produced a .40-caliber polymer ghost pistol with an extended magazine and a green laser. The magazine appeared consistent with being discarded with force. On May 25, 2023, six days after the incident, firearms examiners confirmed the pistol was operable and began comparing it to the recovered casings.

Further examination of the footage showed Price’s shoes appeared to be Air Jordan 4’s, the same shoes he wore at the time of his arrest. The shooter in the video also appeared to possess a semi-automatic handgun with a laser and extended clip, which matched the recovered ghost pistol.

While on the scene, a responding detective recognized Price from a May 4, 2023 arrest that occurred in the same area.

Price’s sentencing hearing will be held before Judge Althea M. Handy.