A Baltimore man charged in connection to a March shooting rejected a plea offer during reception court and is now scheduled to stand trial in October.
Jesse Staton, 66, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, firearm use in a felony violent crime and related offenses in connection to an aggravated assault by shooting that occurred late at night on March 8, 2026. According to Baltimore police, the shooting occurred at Sam’s Grocery on the 300 block of S. Monroe Street, in Southwest Baltimore.
During the hearing, the state offered Staton a plea deal of life, with all but 40 years suspended. The offer would also require Staton to register as a gun offender, have no contact with the victim, and serve a period of supervised probation after release. Staton rejected the offer.
Defense attorney Brandon Thornton represented Staton during the hearing. The case is scheduled to proceed to trial on Oct. 6 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yolanda A. Tanner, with three days allotted for proceedings. Staton’s Hicks date, or deadline for speedy trial, is Nov. 3.
Court documents state that Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to the 300 block of S. Monroe Street at approximately 8:37 p.m. to investigate a reported aggravated assault by shooting.
When officers arrived, they learned that the victim had been working behind the counter inside Sam’s Grocery. Police allege the victim was engaged in a dispute with a Black man inside the store. The man reportedly told the victim, “I’ll be back,” before leaving.
Several minutes later, the same man allegedly returned with a silver semiautomatic handgun, pointed it at the victim, and fired shots while the victim was behind the counter. The suspect then fled the store and ran out of the surveillance camera’s frame.
Crime scene investigators recovered five 9mm fired cartridge casings and three projectiles. Investigators interviewed the victim, reviewed video footage and viewed still photographs from the crime scene. Police also learned that the suspect exited a white Nissan before the dispute.
Detectives later checked license plate reader databases near the scene at the time of the incident, and identified Staton as a person of interest.
On March 9, at approximately 12:07 a.m., investigators created a photographic array and showed it to the victim, who identified a person said to be Staton as the suspect.
Staton is scheduled to return to court for trial on Oct. 6.
