Brendon Lee, 19, pleaded guilty on Sept. 25 to multiple charges in connection to a 2024 shooting in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood.
Lee pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree assault, as well as one count each of firearm use in a felony violent crime and use of an assault weapon or magazine.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Paul J. Cucuzzella sentenced Lee to 30 years, suspending all but ten, the first five without the possibility of parole, followed by five years of supervised probation. Lee must also register as a gun offender.
The prosecution remarked that the state’s recommendations were based on Lee’s age at the time of the incident and the circumstances of the crime.
“The future is in Mr. Lee’s hands,” the prosecutor told the court, urging him to get his GED, learn a special skill, and stay out of trouble.
Defense attorney Judit K. Otvos claimed the recommendation was both punitive and rehabilitative. She described Lee’s actions as reckless but not premeditated and said the gravity of the case had dawned on him. Otvos added that the sentence “gives him hope and incentive to do well.”
Judge Cucuzzella, who recalled seeing Lee in juvenile court, was “shocked, floored, and disappointed” to see this case set before him. The judge told Lee he was lucky no one was injured when he fired 12 rounds.
“Think about the better angels of your soul,” Judge Cucuzzella reminded Lee. “It’s up to you at this point.”
Lee thanked the judge and counsel and explained he wanted to do better in the future.
Lee was initially charged with 38 counts, including nine counts of attempted first-degree murder. The shooting occurred April 8, 2024, on the 1800 block of N. Mount Street. Detectives linked Lee to one of the recovered firearms through ballistic evidence, surveillance footage, and images on his cellphone.
All remaining counts were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
