Jurors began deliberating after closing arguments on June 12 in the trial of Dionte White, 34, before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Hope Tipton.
White is charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, several counts of reckless endangerment and multiple related gun offenses in connection to a non-fatal shooting incident that occurred around 2 a.m. last April on the 1500 block of S. Hanover Street.
Trial proceedings began June 8, with prosecutors arguing surveillance footage, license plate reader data and physical evidence tied White to the shooting. Investigators used license plate reader technology to locate a gold Honda Odyssey minivan bearing visible damage that ostensibly contained White’s registration document and several pieces of DJ equipment.
White later acknowledged the minivan belonged to him and claimed he had been working as a DJ until 5 a.m. that morning, three hours after the shooting occurred.
Prosecutors argued that White provided inconsistent statements about his whereabouts, initially placing himself in one area before later changing his account and attributing the discrepancies to intoxication. To investigators, he said he reportedly had been drinking earlier that night at Nobles Bar in Federal Hill.
During questioning, he allegedly told detectives, “This is Baltimore, and sh*t happens when you talk.”Evidence recovered from the scene included suspected blood and 16 shell casings.
Defense attorney Jason Ott challenged the state’s evidence, arguing that no witnesses positively identified White as the shooter and claiming body-worn camera footage contradicted portions of witness testimony. Investigators recovered no gunshot residue, bullet holes, shell casings or DNA inside the van, and no evidence was presented suggesting the vehicle had been cleaned to conceal forensic evidence.
Ott added that police neither obtained a search warrant nor interviewed White before charging him 81 days after the incident occurred. He argued the recovered DJ equipment and tools supported White’s explanation for his activities that night.
Jurors are currently deliberating their verdict.
