Opening statements were heard before Baltimore Circuit Court Judge LaZette C. Ringgold-Kirksey on Oct. 27 in the shooting trial of 36-year-old defendant Keith Ray Jr. He stands accused of walking in front of a victim’s moving vehicle and shooting him in his face.
Ray Jr. faces counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of first degree assault and multiple gun offenses.
The case stems from a March 17 shooting which occurred around 1:45 am when Ray Jr. allegedly walked in front of a vehicle with two passengers just as it was making a left turn onto the 4200 block of Erdman Avenue.
As depicted in surveillance video the assailant pulled out a handgun and fired at the vehicle, shattering the driver’s side window and striking the male victim in the face. The victim lost control and crashed his vehicle into a fence several hundred feet from where the shooting occurred.
The prosecutor in his opening statement said video evidence shows the defendant at a nearby gas station, allegedly heading into a crosswalk where the shooting occurred.
Defense attorney Natalie Finegar told the jury that the state should have uncovered more evidence rather than relying only on video footage.
She argued the surveillance footage does not prove whether the person at the gas station is the same person in the crosswalk. Moreover, she pointed out the state is not going to call the victim because his testimony might be detrimental to their case.
The trial is set to continue on Oct 27.
